


Ascension

by Destrox (Morganus), Morganus



Series: Ten Years later [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Grimmification (RWBY), Manipulation, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:41:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 61,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23451868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morganus/pseuds/Destrox, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morganus/pseuds/Morganus
Summary: It's been 10 years since the gods returned to Remnant in the final conflict with Salem. With them, the world of Remnant entered a new age of prosperity. Magic has returned to the world, and the scars inflicted by the mad witch have finally begun to heal. Faunus have become generally excepted throughout the world, and Grimm attacks have decreased as well. Occasionally, a new foe arises to challenge the peace, as they always do, but they are nothing compared to The Fall. But now, a forgotten piece of history has proclaimed that it is the time to reveal himself to the world once more. The Doctor has spent a decade in hiding, and the world is finally about to see the fruits of his labor. Once more, shadows will rise to claim the light.
Relationships: Doctor Merlot & OC
Series: Ten Years later [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2100510
Kudos: 1





	1. Gnarled Beauty

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the slow beginning of my story. Looking back on the first chapters, it's obvious this is the first story I've written. Luckily, I got better with time. I still think they're okay, but they could have been better.

“It’s almost time.”

  
The Doctor sat mumbling to himself in the small aircraft barren of other occupants beside the pilot. They zoomed through the air alongside four larger transports, two of which were filled with his associates. He instinctively reached over to press a button on his right to bring up a display of their progress before stopping it centimeters above. He almost let out at a laugh. He hadn’t had a prosthetic in over 3 years. He flexed his right arm, showing himself the palm of his onyx hand.

This was what he had worked for. His progress was finally going to be recognized. The people of Remnant would now see the results of his experiments. Words failed to describe the excitement coursing through him. And that’s why he would except nothing but a perfect debut.

“Sir”

The Doctor glanced up at the pilot who gazed out at the sky, a large metal structure visible in the distance.

“We are approaching the target, T-minus 2 minutes.”

“Good,” the man said more to himself then in reply. “Almost time.”

The man once more reached to press his right arm and stopped again. This time, he did let his laughter out. A chorus of mad joy bounced through the machine, echoing and compounding off the walls. The pilot didn’t even flinch. This was just how the doctor was. It was a big day. After all…

Happiness is to be expected when your changing the world

* * *

  
**Boom!!!**

  
Security began rushing down the many bare hallways of the facility towards the noise, shouting through their radios for confirmation on the exact location of the explosion. Directing the forces, those in the main security office told them that armed forces were moving in from 2 gaps in the south walls of cell blocks F and G from previously cloaked airships. The security stationed there were being easily overwhelmed from the unexpected attack, needing back-up immediately.

Warden Garon Sterling burst into the office, his face set in a fierce scowl.

He wasn’t a very tall man, causing most people to describe him as stout. Not in the fat sense, though. The muscles filling out his blue suit jacket were proof enough of that fact. His brown combed back hair had begun adding gray streaks to the picture, making them the only feature truly showing his age.

“How did this happen?” he yelled while sweeping his eyes across the room, searching for someone to direct his ire at.

The room was filled with men and woman at desks speaking into headsets, all trying to get a read on the situation from the multiple reports flooding in. Aside from the large monitor on the far wall of the room, not a computer was unused at the moment. The chatter didn’t end when the warden appeared, but the security chief moved away from talking to one of the desk jockeys to meet the warden at the door.

“I don’t know sir,” the chief of security said, attempting not to wilt under the warden’s gaze. The man may have been a good foot taller than his superior, but the authority the man exuded was enough to make a Grimm whimper in fear. “Our sensors should have picked them up before they even got close. It should be impossible for this to have happened.”

“I know that!” Sterling declared, making an exasperated motion with his hands. “Tell me something I don’t! Who are they!? How’d they get through our sensors undetected?! And who do we have stored in those areas?”

Directing these questions to the room rather than any individual, his eyes roved the office waiting for someone to answer him.

After an eternity passed in ten seconds, one man waved his hand to get the warden’s attention. A few quick strides, and Sterling was at his desk. The man didn’t wait for the warden to ask questions. He’d worked here long enough to know Sterling expected efficiency above all else. Wasting time waiting for a request that would never come was ill-advised, so he began laying out the details.

“In order of request, forces indicate the attackers are wearing strange masks but are still discernibly Faunus. They also where a symbol of an animalistic head with claw marks through it similar to, if not exactly like, the White Fang symbol. From what we can tell, there’s no issue with the sensors themselves, so they somehow must have cloaking that makes our sensors useless. And finally, reports show no criminals of particular interest held in those blocks. However, we found that they both have the largest concentration of our Faunus inmates than anywhere else in the facility. Approximately 50 Faunus were recorded being held in them, but that report comes from 2 month ago.”

He looked up from the screen to find the warden’s already angry expression had turned sourer than before. Sterling turned his view toward the center monitor.

“Bring up security feeds on cell block F now!”

The men needed no further directions. They immediately went to work bringing up a live feed from one of the remaining cameras and putting it on the big screen. The monitor flicked to life and showed them a high view of the block, angled down from one of the walkways.

It was chaos. Rubble was scattered everywhere in various shape and sizes, bodies both friend and foe littered the floor perforated with wounds, fires had broken out at seemingly random areas along the ground and atop fallen cement, and the enemy was slowly cutting a swath through the now minimal defenders. Sterling watched this unfold passively, his mind working to find solutions to the problem that lay before him. those thoughts were stolen away from him when he appeared.

A single man strolled casually through the great hole in the wall. He was a lanky older man with white hair growing in strange tufts on his head, a white lab coat buttoned across his form and emblazoned with a M on its left breast, and a proud expression on his face. he stood tall, surveying the seen with disgusting satisfaction. However, the most distinguishing feature he had were two pure golden eyes that seemed to burn in their sockets. Those eyes elicited a disturbing feeling of familiarity within the warden, but he couldn’t figure out why.

“Friends,” came a surprisingly smooth voice from the man. “I… am Doctor Merlot. I have come to bring good tidings of great joy and scientific revelation to you on this wondrous day.”

As he spoke, two masked Faunus joined him moving to either side. They were somehow different from the other currently pushing back the institution’s defenses even though their uniforms were the same. They seemed to give off a distressing, almost withering aura. The man continued speaking, now smiling, and apparently blissfully unaware of the presence those beside him exuded.

“Rejoice! For, after years of research, I am merely steps away from attaining the goal of a perfect world. A world where man, woman, and Faunus have reached the pinnacle of evolution! A world where discrimination is meaningless, and all are equal! However, These are merely words. Allow me to present the truth!”

With that, the two men beside him stepped forward and changed. Black ooze flooded out of seemingly every orifice, congealing and forming around the men. As it solidified, chunks of white and red bone seeped out or pierced the skin, covering the body in a horrifically familiar way.

Where two Faunus stood were now two large Grimm, but something was wrong. Their forms were misshapen. One’s entire lower body was underdeveloped along with the right arm. The upper body sans right arm was bulging with muscle with the left arm somehow holding up the entire form surprisingly straight. The face was akin to a silverback, but the features were so warped in comparison one might’ve wished the connection was never made.

The other was a completely different case. Its body had the appearance of a sickly beowolf. The black ‘skin’ clung to whatever thin form was beneath it tightly. Long, sharp ribs, shoulder spikes, knee spikes, and claws protruded from its body in what had to be a painful manner. It was hunched over with claws lightly scraping the floor as is gazed hungrily around the room. Its long bony snout that looked like the ooze forgot to cover it lolled out a long tongue, drool dripping to the ground.  
Sterling realized in horror why the man’s eyes bothered him so. They were the eyes of a Grimm. Pure gold with a shred of any other color. The revelation didn’t comfort him, nor was he glad he made it.

The man known as Merlot looked upon the gnarled, disgusting bastardizations of Grimm with the pride of a parent. Wearing his widest smile yet, the man spoke loudly once more.

“Now, my compatriots,” he said addressing his forces. “Make way for your brothers to free your lost allies. Let us together show the world the perfection it spurned so long ago!”

They didn’t need any more warning. As the White Fang ceased firing, the two things rushed forward far faster than they had any right to. The wolf creature dashed through the facilities remaining defenses, cleaving a bloody and gore filled wave wherever it went. The gorilla put itself down on its minuscule legs and used its massive arm to hurl the larger pieces of rubble at the officers on the catwalk. One of the shattering rocks launched a chunk into the camera they were observing the situation from and the screen went snowy.

Silence filled the room as every man and woman was frozen in shock at what they had just witnessed. The warden slowly brought himself to his senses and looked at the man at the desk he’d talked to earlier.

“Get me that feed back right now! I don’t care how!”

This snapped the man out of his stupor, and he accessed the main monitor once more. He quickly shifted to one of the functioning cameras. It had barely been half a minute, but the scene that greeted them was different.

The room was caked in blood. Stone was embedded in stone and mush that was almost certainly once a living being. Cell doors were either open or ripped off their hinges, and Faunus in prison jumpsuits were making their way to the opening in the wall along with those in uniform. The creatures had shifted back to their previous forms, but the carnage they inflicted was a hideous reminder of what lurked beneath. This was only more apparent by the fact their bodies were dyed crimson in blood.

As the last few Faunus exited the area, Merlot looked at the space, a dark destroyed reflection of a once pristine cell block and bowed.

“You have been a wonderful audience,” he stated. “Keep your eyes toward the future, else you will miss the signs that perfection is nigh.”

With that, he turned and once more strolled through the hole, disappearing from sight.

Garon didn’t ask about cell block G. He already knew what had taken place there. Instead, he made his way back to his office, picked up his phone, and made a call. The line rang only once before a feminine voice came through.

“Atlas Military Intelligence,” she stated simply.

“This is Warden Garon Sterling of the Atlas Central Criminal Institute. I need to speak with General Ironwood immediately. It is a matter of the utmost importance.”

There was a pause, a click, and a new voice emanated from the speaker.

“This is General James Ironwood,” the voice said in a neutral tone.

“General,” Garon said forcing himself to keep his composure. “There’s been an attack on the institute. It was made by the White Fang who released approximately 50 Faunus prisoners, though that number has yet to be confirmed. Casualties on our side have yet to be determined, but I know they were far too many.”

There was a long silence on the other end before the general spoke.

“How?”

The warden inhaled and prepared to retell the events of the last ten minutes to the general. This was going to take a while, and Garon was not looking forward to it.


	2. New Mission, Old Threat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new face gets the job he's been waiting for.

A man made his way through the city of Atlas. This was hardly something of note as it was akin to saying the sky was blue, or that water was wet (or is it?). However, it was the man’s appearance that made this outside of the norm.

By all accounts he looked like any average person. Black pants with a white shirt and a green jacket that, while not weather appropriate considering it was early spring after a heavy snowfall, was not particularly strange. His golden eyes may give one pause if not for the black mess of hair waving in front of them as he walked down the road. He was maybe slightly above average height, seemingly around 5’10, further adding to a typical appearance.

What made this man unusual were two obvious features that easily overshadowed his otherwise simplistic façade. The less obvious of the two was that he wore two rapiers on his left hip. Black scabbards held long blades connected to strangely technological white hilts with wide crescent pommels on black grips that seemed to have slots in the bottom of them. However, the most obvious feature this man possessed was his right arm. More accurately, the lack of a right arm. All the way up to his shoulder there was nothing. Because of this, his right sleeve was folded up to the stump.

Most people ignored the man. Strange or unusual appearances meant they were either a huntsman or someone you were better off not associating with. However, the few that did take note of him noticed where he was heading. This made these people decide he was the former. After all, why would anyone but a huntsman be heading for Atlas Military HQ?

* * *

Nova gazed up at the Atlas Military Headquarters once more. No matter how many times he saw, it still elicited a sense of awe somewhere inside him. The massive white walls glistened with snow and ice reflecting the spring-day sun. The large spires making up the fortress rose far above any other building around. It stood as a shining beacon to the rest of the countries of Atlas’ advancement and might. The pressure its mere presence seemed to impose was incredible, evoking both fear and wonder. Nova thought this must have been the architect’s intention from the start. If so, Nova could attest that it was working.

Putting aside that train of thought once again, for it accompanied every visit, he stepped forward toward the massive structure. Pulling one of the double doors outward, he moved inside the wide lobby of the building.

The floor was covered in familiar gray tiles surrounding a line of white tiles five wide leading to the receptionist’s desk before splitting off in two more lines going opposite directions into other parts of the building. The paths broke into more lines leading into various doorways, including two elevators on each side of the receptionist’s desk. Lights embedded in the roof reflected bluish-white on the gray tiles as Nova walked down the white path to the simple, sleek, black front desk.

“Hello, Laurel,” Nova said to the receptionist with a smile gracing his lips. He’d been called here enough to be familiar with her. She was the picture-perfect receptionist. A petite woman with spectacles over blue-gray eyes wearing a gray pantsuit with brown hair tied up in a bun. This gave her, a woman in her early twenties, the appearance of someone in her late thirties. Nova, of course, would never share these thoughts with her. He liked this woman and didn’t want to needless offend her.

“Hello, Nova,” Laurel replied, a small smile touching her face as well. “You’ve already been cleared to go see him. Here.”

With this, she handed a familiar card to him over the desk. The card was adorned with a large number 6 which indicated the security clearance it gave him. Taking the card, he gave her a nod.

“Thanks.” He said simply before working his way over to one of the adjacent elevators. After pressing the call button, he was surprised to find that in mere moments the doors were opening to the chrome room within. Obviously, the elevator was closer to ground floor than usual. Before he entered, a voice came from the receptionist leaning over the desk to look at him. An action he found odd from a usually more business-like woman.

“Tell your daughter happy birthday for me,” she called, the previously small smile growing much larger.

He responded in kind. Two years ago, he had bragged about his daughter Dahlia and the talent she’d shown wielding his blades while waiting for the elevator. Laurel asked what her birthday was and had been sending presents ever since. Her birthday was two weeks away, and Nova was hoping to have whatever problem this was wrapped up by then. Now, if he could only figure out how Laurel knew their address.

“I’ll be sure to,” he said before entering the elevator.

As the doors slid shut, he inserted the card into a slot beneath the panel of buttons ranging from B-10 to 60. As He pulled it out, the 1 through 45 buttons lit up. Pressing 45, he leaned against the back wall as the machine whirred and lifted him ever upward.

The doors opened to a hallway parting in two paths away from the elevator on either side. The wall opposite the elevator was a massive window spanning the entire length of the hallway. Nova exited and strode down the right pathway.

He made his way down the hallway, staring briefly out the window in wonder of the vast expanse that lay before and below him. The view never failed to impress him. When he had first seen it, he was surprised the military would leave what seemed like an obvious weak point in the designs. When he asked about it, someone had said that not only was the glass two inches thick, but it also was imbued with dust to increase its durability. He’d never heard of anyone doing this before, but science marches on, he supposed.

Reaching the end of the hall, he found a pair of familiar black double doors next to a gold plate with the name ‘Ironwood, Gen. James’ spelled out in black letters. Nova knocked on the door and waited for a reply. He didn’t have to wait long.

“Come in,” came a voice from behind the black barrier. Opening the doors, Nova stepped inside a large office. A large window of the same reinforced glass was placed behind a desk in the center of this spacious yet rather derelict office. A man sat at the aforementioned desk in an armchair sorting through some of the papers from the substantial stack on his desk. He glanced up and gave Nova a tired smile.

(I could describe him to you in detail, but you can just imagine Ironwood with a few more streaks in his hair.)

“Come to take my paperwork away?’ Ironwood asked, gesturing to the pile.

“Depends on how you look at it,” Nova replied with a grin.

Ironwood leaned back in his chair and gazed up at the roof.

“When Salem was around, I didn’t have to worry about things like excessive paperwork. I could have others deal with it while I focused on important things. Not to say I prefer her to peace, but still…” Ironwood lightly pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a small sigh.

“I’m guessing this is a pretty big problem then?” Nova said, stepping further into the office until he’s standing in front of the desk.

“Honestly, the incident itself wouldn’t necessarily be anything to keep the press away from. It’s who’s involved and the implications of said involvement that have me worried.”

“What do you mean?” A curious expression crossed Nova’s face as he pondered what Ironwood meant.

“Take a look.” With that, Ironwood pulled himself forward and pressed something on a console Nova hadn’t see behind the pile of paperwork.

A large monitor lowered from above and blocked out the light cast by the window. The screen flickered to life as Ironwood spoke over the images that began appearing, showing the security camera footage from the incident.

“Three days ago, a group that wore the White Fang insignia broke into the Atlas Central Criminal Institute and released a total of 72 Faunus inmates,” Ironwood said as the video showed an explosion and armed Faunus flooding through the newly made hole. “While unexpected, it’s this part that has me concerned.”

He gestured toward the screen which showed Merlot’s entrance. As it played Ironwood saw Nova’s left-hand curl into a fist and his brow furrow. The fist only tightened to as Merlot’s speech went on. When the two White Fang who transformed came out and changed, the vise loosened, and a look of shock came over his face.

“I believe you’re familiar with this occurrence,” Ironwood retracted the monitor into the ceiling. “Which is why you’re here today.”

Nova resisted the urge to grab his shoulder as a familiar buzzing rushed through him.

“I need three days,” Nova unconsciously rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. “And my usual fee, of course.”

Ironwood raised an eyebrow at this. “Three days? You can usually start immediately.”

“Gray’s not going to be enough this time. I have a team in mind, though. However, I’m going to need your help. Specifically, you and your intelligence division.”

“I assumed as much,” Ironwood leaned back in his chair. “But why do I get the feeling it’s not just for where our analysts predict the White Fang may be hiding?”

“Ruby mostly goes from place to place taking care of problems wherever she finds them. Makes her hard to track down. However, it would be worth it to have one of the most skilled huntresses I know on the team. Think your people can find her?”

“Shouldn’t be too hard,” Ironwood said, scratching his chin with his right hand. “I can probably have them send you a lead by tonight.”

“Good,” Nova said as he scratched of a name on his mental list. “And Ruby can show me where Qrow is. No doubt in my mind she visits him when she’s close by, so that marks another off the list.”

“Qrow?” Ironwood asked, clearly mystified. “He’s retired. What makes you think he would help?”

“Retiring is just another way of saying on leave,” Nova countered. “Besides, there’s a reason I’m getting Ruby first. It’s harder to deny your niece then someone you someone you barely fought with at what appeared to be the end of the world.”

“Fair point,” the General conceded, gesturing his ascent. “So, is there anything else you’re going to be needing?”

“Other than transportation?” Nova asked as he turned his eyes away from Ironwood to look out the window. “There is one thing…”

There was a pause in the conversation while Ironwood waited for him to make his request. Whatever it was Nova was about to ask, it was something he was preparing himself to fight for. This alone told James he wasn’t going to like it.

“You see,” Nova started. “It’s about the fifth member I want…”

* * *

The doors slid open and Nova stepped out of the elevator to the ground floor of the building. He started to wish Laurel a farewell before noticing she was helping someone at the moment. She had still seen him, though, so he sent her a wave, and she reciprocated with a nod without even slowing her speech as she talked to the man before her.

As he exited the building, he saw the car the General had called for him. He was told the driver had orders to take him to the airfield where a transport would take him to Menagerie so he could pick up Gray. By that point, he was assured he’d have Ruby’s location.

The car didn’t look notable, which was probably the point. Simply a black variant of a car model he couldn’t remembered off the top of his head. It didn’t really matter, so he didn’t linger on it long.

He walked up to and opened the passenger door. Not three seconds after taking his seat did the car pull away from the curb and onto the road. The driver didn’t speak to him and he was fine with that. It gave him time to think about the task ahead of him, and the man responsible.

He thought back to the footage. To Merlots grand entrance. To the abominations he brought with him. To the promise Merlot made to him years ago.

That day flashed within his mind just as it had done earlier. The day he could’ve prevented this. Him, standing over Merlot, sword in his right hand as the facility crumbled around them. He raised it high, preparing to plunge it into the psychotic savant whose creations lay throughout the complex being buried by debris.

He thrust downward, only to be thrown back. He had missed one. It barreled into him, gouging its fangs into his arm, tearing it away with massive force. He reacted, jamming his other sword into the beast’s head. Yanking it out, he looked back where Merlot had been. All that met his sight was fire and rubble piled on the spot that Merlot once occupied. He had no choice. Assuming the best, he sheathed his sword and scooped up the other before launching himself up debris, higher and higher till he reached the fissuring roof. He stabbed the sword still in his hand upward, putting enough force behind it to take out a chunk large enough to leap through.

He was jolted out of his revelry as the car came to a stop. He’d been so enthralled in his memories; he’d practically blacked out the whole trip.

He stepped out of the car without a word, actually looking at his surroundings for the first time since he entered the car.

Just your typical airfield. A wide, flat expanse of concrete marked with lines showing the different lanes incoming and outgoing vehicles could travel. The car had dropped him off at one of the many transports lining the outer rim of the field, all of which was surrounded by a substantially high fence.

“Probably electrified,” he thought to himself.

The car drove away as he walked toward the transport. A young soldier meets him halfway and gives me a salute.

“Mr. Umber, sir!” he declared. “My name is Janus Cerulean. I will be your pilot for the duration of your mission.”

The man wore the standard Atlas military uniform. His pale skin complimented his sky-blue eyes with his auburn hair tucked neatly into his military issue cap. An all-around appealing appearance to be sure.

A smile forms on Nova’s face at the formality this soldier. As he moves past the man, he briefly puts a hand on his shoulder.

“Call me Nova,” he said, removing his hand and continuing toward the vehicle. “After all, I’m not your superior officer. Just someone brought in to do a job.”

The man is taken aback slightly by this but recovers quickly.

“Yessir!” he said before following Nova to the transport and climbing into the cockpit.

Nova steps into the back and the door shuts a moment before he’s seated. They simply sat there while Cerulean got everything sorted out for takeoff with whoever was on the other end of his headphones. After five minutes, the machine whirred to life, and they slowly lifted off the ground.

It was now that Nova returned his thoughts to the matter before. Refusing to let himself be lost in those memories once more, he began pondering other elements of Merlot’s reemergence. But even as he did so he felt his shoulder stump tingle from the thought. Ignoring the feeling, he began asking questions.

Merlot did nothing without reason. He goes into hiding for a decade, then suddenly, he attacks a military prison with White Fang. Why?

“Because he’s ready to act,” Nova murmured to himself. “And he thinks it’s to late to stop him.”

Then, why wouldn’t he make it a bigger show? He would’ve realized the military would keep it under wraps, so he didn’t plan on the general populace knowing. But he still could’ve found a subtler way to break out those inmates, so he wanted to be seen. Why?

“Because he knew you’d find out, and he knew you wouldn’t be able to resist.”

Nova sighed. There was definitely more he was missing. Merlot never did anything for one specific reason. The man worked to do as much as he could with every action he took. Nova may have been one part, but how many other schemes were forwarded by that prison break.

Nova closed his eyes, thinking about how wonderful it would be when he finally killed that psychopath. This time, things would be different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still can't believe how I wrote only a year ago. I was so long-winded and somewhat rambly. I like to think that's changed, but I also have an editor now, so that might be part of it.


	3. Because, Reasons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor is in!

“What were you thinking?!”

A woman burst through the metal door into one of Merlot’s smaller laboratories in the complex. It had three desks flush with three of the four walls in the room. They were covered in various tools of the craft including vials full of multicolored fluids, equipment only Merlot would know how to use, and several textbooks that Veridian would never be able to understand even if she was interested in reading them.

Merlot turned a page in one of those textbooks placed on the desk to the right of the door. Merlot had been expecting this. Vallus had been vehemently against revealing themselves to world even if it would bolster their ranks. He was confident the moment she learned of his actions she would rush over to berate him. He smiled. To be young and able to act on your instincts so unquestioningly. He envied that ability. As he had grown older, he questioned his instinctual reactions more and more, analyzing them mercilessly until whatever part of him that compelled him to do so was satisfied. It was how he knew the Grimm were perfect. Unrestrained. Powerful. Unbothered by the constraints of logic and reasoning. At least, that was what he thought until…

“… and shove it down your conniving throat!”

He shook his head. A thought for another time. Now he must deal with more present matters. Namely…

“Ms. Vallus, whatever could be causing you such distress?”

He delivered this line as he closed the book before him and turned to face the irritated Faunus. Although his words were patronizing, the cheerful and friendly tone combined with his pleasant smile made it clear this was not the intention. He was asking a quite literal question, as if he truly could not understand what she was upset about. The fact that Veridian knew this only served to anger her further.

She was a tall woman standing around 6’2 with the majority of her cream-colored skin covered up by a green variant of the typical White Fang uniform. Merlot still had not decided if it was to differentiate herself and her position from the other members, or if she just really liked green. Her hood fell away from her head as it usually revealing long strands of forest green hair reaching her shoulder blades that could only be described as ‘windblown’. The lack of her usual mask showed her narrowed hazel eyes, the reptilian slits still visible if only barely.

“I know you have trouble listening to others,” she began as her voice rose in pitch and frustration. “But I thought we agreed it was a risky move and an action we shouldn’t take!”

Merlot shook his head, letting out a soft chuckle before beginning.

“Ms. Vallus. When you have worked on anything for any significant amount of time, you feel sheer elation, sheer joy, when you finally accomplish your goal.” As he continued, he made grand gestures with his hands to emphasize his words, obviously caught up in the moment. “As you experience this overwhelming feeling, you find the only way you can bear it is if you share it. To show the people that what you have worked so long and hard for was successful! That the wait is over! That now, we can finally evolve into the most perfect and pure forms we could ever achieve! That everything will be equal! That discrimination and evil will become meaningless! That the world will finally be as it should! Having all this pent up inside you, how could you not want to show at least a few all you have done?! Tell me, Ms. Vallus! How could you contain yourself?! It’s enough to drive one mad!”

As the rant had gone on, his voice was consumed with excitement and unbridled happiness, his smile growing wider by the sentence. Halfway through, he had begone stalking toward Veridian, causing her to back away slowly. She had begun to regret leaving her guandao in her quarters as she soon found herself against the wall beside the door. After his final question, he took two steps back, and Veridian realized he hadn’t taken a single breath throughout the entirety of his tirade.

Attempting to compose herself after the madness she had just witnessed, she examined his monologue. She found that all her counter arguments were uselessly incomparable to the amount of crazy she was just subjected to. Luckily, or unluckily depending on your perspective, Merlot wasn’t quite finished.

Having noticeably calmed down from his explosive expression, the wide grin he had sported shrunk back to its usual size as he began anew.

“Do you remember what I told you three years ago when I first found you lying in the dirt? Your dream lost with your idol even longer ago still, waiting for death to claim you though you never fulfilled your purpose. Do you remember?”

He spoke calmly, almost as though gently reminding a child of the rules of his house. His two completely yellow eyes made it impossible to tell where he was looking, but Veridian knew he was gazing into her eyes. Slowly, she began recalling the moment everything changed.

* * *

**Three Years Ago**

* * *

It was Vacuo. She lay on the ground bleeding from her gut, staining her white uniform. Not the best position to be in.

Hiding without someone backing you up meant cavorting with less than reputable people. Makes it hard to know which ones want the money your willing to pay or all the money you have. This obviously came from the latter option.

They were supposed to be escorting her to a covert hideout she remembered using when the White Fang were still a functional group, as opposed to a bunch of former members scattered across Remnant hiding from the military. In the middle of a forest they traveled through, they surrounded her.

They must have done this before. She could tell from how rehearsed their actions were. She had needed to sell her weapon to fund her escape, so it wasn’t much of a fight. Still, she resisted. A proud White Fang would never yield so easily. That, of course, led to one of them shooting her like an animal after she’d been knocked to the ground. After taking anything that could be deemed as valuable off her crumpled form, they left, celebrating a job well done.

She knew she would die here. It was simply the truth. No one was around. No one was coming to save her. Her strength was flowing out with her blood. Even if she could somehow get moving, the Grimm would find her soon enough and finish her. She would leave this world in a whimper. Without glory. Without purpose.

As if on cue, she heard them. The low snarls and light steps creeping toward her. She also knew the loss of blood must be getting to her, because she could’ve sworn she heard footsteps coming from the same direction.

The steps maneuvered around from behind, bringing their originators before her. Two large beowolves were crouched in anticipation, the orbs that were their eyes gleaming with bloodlust as they gazed upon her prone form. Between them, though, was a man.

The man wore sensible black shoes under similarly black slacks. The rest the man was covered in a pure white lab coat reaching from his shoulders to his knees. A black M was emblazoned on his left breast and a pen was hooked into the pocket on his right breast. What caught her attention most though was his face. A large white mustache covered his upper lip, matching the beard pointing out from his chin and the white hair on his head. The hair was an odd mix of combed and completely tousled, almost covering his eyes. His eyes were that of a Grimm’s. There was no other description that did them justice. The piercing gold eyes peered down on her with a curious look. Then, slowly, a smile she would soon become familiar with placed itself firmly on his face.

“You have lost your way. I can see it in your eyes. You are one of the White Fang, correct? Your outfit would suggest as much. Or, at least, what remains. I heard your organization broke apart years ago when your leader disappeared. That must have been a shock. Practically wiped out overnight. I had heard there were still stragglers even after all these years. Some say the organization is still operating, just keeping their heads down. Is that true?”

The man leaned in, seemingly searching for something. His eyes literally glowed as they pierced her vision, looking through her more than at her. After what felt like an eternity of locked gazes, the man straightened. His previously whimsical tone shifted slightly, gaining a slightly serious edge as he slowly said, “I suppose not.”

He paused a moment, appearing to consider an idea before speaking once more.

“Do you believe your dream is still worth fighting for?”

Veridian couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Or hearing for that matter. This man, who stood side by side with ferocious Grimm and had so casually mentioned how everything she, that the Faunus, had worked for was wiped out, was now questioning her resolve? For what?! The dream was gone! It was lost with Adam! They had failed! What did he expect to hear from her?

She cast her eyes away. The man was just talking for the sake of it. Amusing himself as he watched her life fade. Pointless. Just like her efforts to survive.

“I can make it a reality.”

Her eyes jolted back toward the man in disbelief.

“A conviction to realizing a dream through hardships and persecutions is something I know well. Just because you know what is right does not mean everyone else does. Keeping your dream alive through it all is difficult to say the least. If you still have that will, that drive, to fulfil your dream even now, then I will help you.”

A cough racking her body, Veridian gazed up at the man. Fighting back the fog that threatened to overtake her mind, she forced out a reply.

“Why?”

It was soft, practically a whisper, but the man showed no signs of straining to hear her.

“I will be clear. I am not doing this just for you,” he said, going into a crouch. Whether this was for her benefit or his own remained to be seen. “I have my own dream. I have worked toward it for a long time. I believe that we could help each other. After all, one good turn deserves another. A fair exchange, in my opinion.”

This final sentence was spoken in the same cadence as before, any semblance of seriousness fading almost as if it was never there at all.

“You should decide quickly. I give you about ten minutes at most, and that is being generous.”

A part of her despised how nonchalantly he delivered this news, but it was miniscule in comparison to the part thinking over his offer. Was he telling the truth? Did he know what he was promising? It had to be a lie. An attempt to manipulate her. Get her hopes up and then dash them. But… What if it was true? Even if it’s a lie, even if he was just amusing himself, could she really afford to dismiss it? She had nothing to lose, and everything to gain. Or did she. She felt like she was making a deal with the devil. There were those who would agree.

“Yes.”

Another pathetic whisper, but the man understood. Reaching into one of his coat pockets, he drew out a needle full of a black fluid that seemed to shift even when his hand didn’t move. Pushing her head slightly to the side, he injected it into a vein in her neck and pulled away, returning to his standing position.

Three seconds passed and nothing happened. Then, on the fourth, energy seemed to rush through her body. It spread like wildfire through her veins, coursing and pulsing over her entire body. The force congealed in her gut and swirled around the area where she knew the wound was. Then, just as quickly as it had come, it left. She felt tired, but also that she had enough strength to push herself up.

Slowly lifting her body, she placed herself in a sitting position, leaning back against her arms to keep herself from falling back to the ground. She breathed heavily, drained in a way she couldn’t quite put into words. She looked down to examine the wound that brought her to this position through the remains of her uniform. She would have gasped in shock if she had the stamina remaining.

The wound had disappeared. A black substance took its place, almost appearing to have filled it. She instinctually brought up her right hand to touch it and immediately fell back to the ground, unable to support herself.

The man took a few steps to her side and peered at her face, the smile present throughout their entire exchange wider than it had ever been. Using what energy she still had, she forced out one last sentence.

“What…did you…do…to me?”

He reached out his right hand, palm up, and she noticed it was pitch black, speckled with white bone across its form. His golden eyes gleamed as his gaze shifted to the matter now infused in her stomach.

“I’ve shared my dream with you.”

* * *

“Yes.”

The conviction in her tone spoke of the will to make her dream a reality that Merlot had seen in her back then. He was rarely wrong when he made investments, and she was no exception.

“Then you know that everything I do is to realize both our dreams,” as he said this, he walked to the desk on his left and began watching a purple bubbling liquid in a flask suspended over a small flame. “I would never do anything I thought would jeopardize our goals. And you know this even if you do not wish to admit it right now. But it is good to get your frustrations out in the open instead of bottling them up inside. A very unhealthy act, to be sure. Negative thoughts physically harm the brain. Did I ever tell you that?”

She knew he was right. About the dream thing, that is. She had absolutely no clue on the negative thought part. She also knew he believed what he was saying. She just got irritated when he did things like this. She thought she’d be used to his special brand of insanity after all these years, but it still got under her skin. She did, however, find herself calmer than when she came through the door. She made a clicking noise with her tongue.

“Just once, try to communicate with me before you do something so drastic. I have as much stake in the success of this operation as you do, so keep me apprised. That way, we won’t have to do this every time.”

“But Ms. Vallus,” Merlot said, lulling his head to the side to peer at her. A lazy smile touching his lips. “These exchanges are so much fun. Why would I ever want them to end?”

Veridian let out a sigh of sheer exasperation. She mentally swears that if he wasn’t such an important part of their plan, or if he hadn’t been the one to bring her dream back to the realm of possibility, she’d never be able to work with this fool. She almost believed it, too.

“I’ll leave you to your work.”

With that, she turned on her heel and left.

As she shut the door, Merlot moved back to the table opposite the door. He didn’t reopen the book from before. He’d read it already. He was just taking a break. Very convenient she had barged in then as opposed to earlier. She might have ruined the surprise.

Pushing a corner of the desk into itself, a panel opened on the wall adjacent the desk. A *CLICK* came from the door as the lock was engaged. Merlot moved to and gazed at the screen the panel concealed. He rubbed his chin, trying to recall what the password was. It was only 20 minutes ago, but even after that short a time he still had too many to keep track of easily. After putting in a few different combinations, he remembered. 2115.

*BEEP BEEP*

A section of wall left of the panel slid away. He strolled inside as green lights illuminated the contents therein.

A sparse, metallic room greeted his sight. The large room was occupied by a single console in front of a large, black fluid-filled tube. The contents of said tube were completely obscured, though four cords could be seen above the goo plunging within. A small speaker rested next to the cylinder. Merlot approached the console and pressed a button. A small mike telescoped out the top and stopped a foot above its origin.

“It is almost time,” Merlot spoke into the microphone. “We are in the final stages of the plan, and I’m about to perfect the process. You will not be trapped here much longer.”

A pause in the speech as his smile widened.

“Are you as excited as I am?”

A crazed giggle quickly followed these words. Veridian was going to be thrilled. The look on her face would be priceless.

“Yes.”

The voice rang clearly out the speaker through the room. Merlot’s giggles changed into full blown laughter when he heard the voice’s response. This was going to be great! Everything was in place. Every variable accounted for. No surprise attacks from teenage girls. No military intervention. All was as it should be.

And he would be there. He would have been alerted the moment Merlot appeared on screen. The Doctor couldn’t wait to see him again. His muse, wasting away all these years without him. Merlot would make things right. Merlot would welcome him with open arms, even as he sought to tear them off.

“Just wait a little longer!” he declared. “And I will show you everything you helped me accomplish!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a hard time narrowing down Merlot's character at the beginning. I went a little all over the place with the whole mad scientist shtick. I'm glad I had narrowed it down by next chapter. I took a three month hiatus between them, so it can probably be partially attributed to that.


	4. A Drunk, a Faunus, and a Hero Stroll into Atlas…

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The title kinda says it all. Nova does the thing he said he would in the first chapter. Oscar gives some advice.

Nova strolled through the streets of Kuo Kuana with a small spring in his step. Even the burden of his new job seemed to lighten as he made his way through this vibrant city.

After Faunus were finally recognized, in no small part to their contributions in the last months of the Fall, the streets had become far less crowded as Faunus, finally feeling truly safe enough to make lives outside of Menagerie, moved to the other continents. The discrimination, of course, hadn’t fully disappeared. It would take years, possibly decades, before the change was truly accepted, but this was an important start.

Luckily, the Belladonnas remained steadfast in making that acceptance a reality. With the people of other kingdoms more open to the Faunus than ever, Ghira had been sending Blake, the official representative of Menagerie, to establish connections and friendly relations with them, as well as handle any issues pertaining to the Faunus in those regions. A task possibly unbearable by one person, but one she does with gusto. And she wasn’t alone, as Nova had heard Sun traveled with her wherever she went.

All of this has led to a happier, healthier, and less crowded Menagerie.

This was all apparent to him as he walked past the vendors lining the streets, selling their wares to human and Faunus alike. Farther down the road past the marketplace, Nova turned to one of the more residential areas of Kuo Kuana. Continuing forward, he made his way passed many houses lining the streets. Children laughed and played through the road as he passed by, reminding him of younger days.

“I miss this place sometimes,” he mused to himself.

Finally reaching his destination, he stopped before the house and gave it a once over as he was prone to do. The thatched gable roof hung over the simple light-brown exterior of the building. The wood panels bore a single small window next to a simple door made from the same material as the house. And the crazy part about it? It was nearly identical to every other house in this area. If he hadn’t known that Gray lived here, he might’ve spent all day knocking on doors. That, of course, is what Gray had in mind. Hiding in plain sight. Blending into the background. Making his presence known only when he chose. Old habits die hard.

Moving toward the door, he walked up the small wooden stairway and rapped three times before stepping back. There were a few soft thumps from within the house before the door handle rattled and turned.

A wolf Faunus who looked to be in his mid-twenties glided the door inward. This sharp-faced individual wore a white t-shirt and blue jeans over his well-toned body, obviously formed from years of effort. The man’s ice-blue eyes shown with a calculating light between long silver locks that waved over them and his shoulders. Atop his silver crown were two canine ears that flicked back and forth, searching for threats unseen. The decidedly neutral expression broke into a grin and the ear roving stopped, quickly followed by a speedy series of exclamations.

“Nova! I haven’t seen you in months! What brings you to Menagerie? You visiting your parents? Belle send you here to invite me to dinner? She could have just called, but she sent you! I love that woman!”

The Faunus rattled these off without leaving room for response. Nova didn’t mind. It had been a while. Had he not been here on business, there was no doubt his mother would have insisted he invite Gray to dinner. Luckily, Dahlia wanted to see her grandparents for her birthday, so it wouldn’t be too long before he came back. Too bad that wasn’t the case right now.

“Actually, Gray,” Nova said, cutting the man off before he could precede further. “I’m here about a job.”

“Oh,” the man known as Gray said, slightly surprised. “And you need my help? The last time I needed to step in was when that sorcerer got a little too high off his own fumes.”

Nova nodded his head at that. A year ago, a man named Carn Violaceous found a way to manipulate the dust energy in the automatons employed by the Atlas military. He had begun using his pilfered army to terrorize and claim dominance over the smaller settlements of Vale, wiping out anyone rejecting his ‘rule’. Since sending more robots would have added to his army, and a large force of human soldiers could cause Carn to panic and take a settlement hostage, they called in Nova and Gray. By the time they confronted him, he had gained control of over a hundred soldiers and three paladins. It would have been curtains for them if Penny, who was immune to Carn’s control due to possessing her own protective aura, hadn’t joined the fight. Unfortunately, Carn slipped away in the conflict and was still at large.

“This might be worse. Did I ever tell you about Merlot?”

The Faunus raised his hand to his bare chin before nodding.

“The crazy grimm scientist, right?”

“The very same,” Nova confirmed. “But he has help this time.”

Gray shook his head at that.

“Who would help a lunatic like that?”

“That’s the oddest part of this situation.”

Nova raised up with his right arm and… Oh yeah.

A grin crossed Gray’s mouth.

“Tried to scratch your head again? I can see it on your face. You know, this wouldn’t happen if…”

“I know,” Nova said annoyedly as he raised his _left_ hand and did as he intended before. He continued a little awkwardly

“It seems the White Fang are working with Merlot. I couldn’t tell you why, but I guess that’s our job to figure out.”

A stunned look appeared on Gray’s visage, quickly replaced by a scowl.

“After all we did,” Gray said irritably, “They just show up to sink they’re fangs in again. Honestly, I don’t know why I’m surprised.”

Nova understood. Gray realized the direction Sienna Khan was taking the White Fang, so he left with Ghira. Afterward, he took whatever chance he could to interfere with White Fang operations in-between other jobs. After Salem was gone, and the military got itself together, he and Nova were part of a task force with the specific purpose of hunting down the remaining White Fang. To hear that even after all that they still were popping up made that whole operation feel pointless.

“Guess nothing’s changed after all these years, huh?” Nova asked tiredly

“Seems that way,” Gray replied in kind, scowl replaced by a face as equally tired as his words.

A contemplative silence filled the space between them as they thought back to more hopeful times. The Fall had brought the world’s problems into focus, giving them a picture of what needed to be done to help fix them. But no matter how many they dealt with, new problems had a nasty habit of popping up just as quickly.

“Look on the bright side,” Nova said. “We got more people to help us this time.”

Gray raised an eyebrow at this. They usually worked alone on these jobs. Even during the hunt for the White Fangs remnants, they had mostly used Atlas’ resources just to find the targets. Only when they came up against a particularly large concentration did they request reinforcements.

“You think we’re going to need more people?” Gray asked. “Even if they got a mad scientist on their side, they’ve always been a bunch of undertrained terrorists.”

“One man can make a lot of difference. Especially someone like Merlot.” Nova added a bit of venom to the man’s name.

“Guess we’ll see,” Gray said, glancing at a little raccoon Faunus kicking a ball down the street.

Noticing the glance and looking at the child as well, Nova asked a question now at the forefront of his mind.

“What about Violet?”

Gray thought a moment before responding.

“If I remember correctly, her class was taken on a weeklong field trip to investigate the ruined settlements across Vale. After that, she told me they were getting a three-day break. Said she’s coming home to ‘Drag me out of my hovel.’ Her words, not mine.”

Nova grinned at this. Violet was always a forceful child, especially when it came to her father. She always acted like she had to take care of Gray. Like he was lost without her.

“We’ll probably be done before then. That is, if nothing unexpected happens.”

“So, you’re saying we won’t?” Gray asked with a smirk.

“I guess I am,” Nova replied with a smile.

They shared a light chuckle before Nova continued.

“Well, I’ve got three more appointments to get to today. Ironwood should have sent Ruby’s location to Janus by now, so I should get going. I’ll meet you in Atlas in two days.”

With that, Nova turned around and descended back down the stairs toward the street. Gray spoke one last time before he was out of earshot.

“You’re getting a silver-eyes for this? This Merlot has you that worried?”

Nova looked over his shoulder, and Gray could see the fire in his eyes.

“I’m not taking any chances this time.” Nova muttered before continuing forward.

Gray watched him leave before shutting the door, wondering what he would tell Violet if she found out he had gone on another dangerous mission

“Eh,” he shrugged to himself. “That’s future Gray’s problem.”

* * *

“Ma’am, are you going to buy something?”

The store clerk gazed over at the woman currently fawning over a small figurine of one of the heroes of Remnant wielding a scythe.

The pale-skinned woman wore a white high-neck décolletage blouse whose sleeves ended in frilled red trim. Over the blouse she bore a black corset with red lacing and a red cloak that was slightly tattered at the bottom pinned in placed on her right shoulder by a tiny red cross outlined in silver. A black belt with silver trim bearing a silver rose emblem rested above a black skirt with red tulle beneath. Finishing up the look, she wore black combat boots laced and soled with red. Her choppy black hair flipped back-and-forth as she shifted position to look at the figurine, the red tips wavy through the air.

She had entered his small shop ten minutes ago and had spent the last five of them glancing over the _Heroes of Remnant_ collection. He hadn’t been surprised when she had settled on Ruby Rose. Everyone admired the silver-eyed huntress. The woman even wore a similar outfit to the hero. Almost certainly a fan. He couldn’t fault her. He’d been around for decades, and he’d rarely seen huntsmen so revered.

“Mini me…”

The woman muttered something the clerk didn’t quite catch as she slowly touched the tip of the miniature scythe. She scooped up the figurine and brought it over to the counter.

“I’ll take this one,” she said, confidently placing the object down.

The clerk gave the figurine a once over before calling it up on the register. A number appeared on the screen facing the woman.

“500 lien,” the clerk informed the woman.

The girl’s silver eyes widened as she gazed at the price. The clerk was taken aback a moment before reminding himself this woman was probably a fan. He was just surprised she’d go as far as to wear colored contacts as well.

“500?” she said in despair. “Can’t you take 350? Please?”

The clerk watched as the woman clasped her hands together and her eyes rounded, but he shook his head.

“Sorry, but no.”

The woman’s arms slumped sullenly as she gazed longingly at the tiny huntress.

The bell over the entrance jingled as a new customer entered the shop.

“Welcome to Mistral Antiquities,” the clerk said to the new arrival. “I’ll be with you in but a moment.”

The man who had just entered made his way over to the counter. Reaching into his left pocket, he brought out five white lien and placed them on the counter.

“500 you said? I think I heard that right. Hard to hear things through a door, after all.”

The woman’s eyes stopped short of actually sparkling as the clerk took the lien. She turned to the generous newcomer, and the smile already forming on her face widened further.

“Nova!” she declared before hurling herself at him in a hug. “I haven’t seen you in years! What are you doing here?”

“Business,” Nova replied before wincing from the sudden pressure. “Speaking of which, if you can stop doing your best ursa impression, we can grab your figure and talk about it.”

Though he meant it as a joke, the woman pushed away with an apologetic look on her face and a sheepish “Sorry.”

Turning back to the counter, she picked up and triumphantly held her prize above her head as the clerk attempted to give her the receipt. Oblivious to his futile attempts to do so, she turned to the door.

“Okay,” she said, practically skipping out the store entrance. “Let’s go.”

Nova rubbed the… He reached out and took the receipt from the clerk’s outstretched hand.

“Sorry. Ruby can be easily distracted. Have a nice day.”

Giving the man a nod, Nova followed the woman out.

Waving in reply, the clerk sat down on a stool behind the counter, waiting for a new customer.

“Ruby?” the clerk thought aloud.

He’d definitely called the woman that. Just like…

He glanced out the window and caught the woman twirling around and holding the figurine aloft before disappearing, quickly followed by the man.

“Naaaaw.”

He’d been around the block a few times back in his day, and he’d have known if one of the great heroes of Remnant had been in his small shop. Still, she _had_ been very similar.

“Imitation and flattery,” he told himself as he searched for something to keep him occupied.

* * *

“Do I even have to ask why you got a figure of yourself?”

Nova followed Ruby through the sun soaked stone streets of Mistral as she danced to-and-fro, investigating every little thing that caught her eyes. The shadows cast by the sun angled eastward as it continued its journey across the sky.

“It isn’t for me,” Ruby said turning to look at him. “It’s for Weiss!”

“Weiss? Why would Weiss need a mini you?”

“I never see her anymore,” she said in a pouty tone. “She’s always so busy with running the Schnee Dust Company nowadays, not to mention her family.”

She reached into her backpack and pulled out the figurine she promised she’d pay Nova back for. He knew he’d probably never see those 500 lien.

“I just thought,” she continued as she looked for the umpteenth time at the figure. “That she’d like a reminder of the old days. They weren’t always the best, but we were together. I kinda miss that.”

Nova smiled at his friend. Even after all these years she hadn’t changed a bit. Be it fame, war, or peace, Ruby was Ruby.

“And if she’s so busy,” Nova asked. “How do you plan on getting it to her? I doubt you can just send it to her in the mail.”

“Jaune,” she said simply.

Nova had to admit that was her best bet. Jaune was _far_ more accessible then his wife. Since he spends most his days either training, taking care of Raine, or reminding Weiss she needs to sleep, eat, and relax, he wasn’t hard to find.

“Now tell me,” she asked, putting away the figure once more. “What’s this ‘business’ you came here on?” She made air quotes on business.

“Right,” Nova began. “Do you remember who Dr. Merlot is?”

“How could I forget?” She exclaimed while throwing her arms out. “Exploding grimm! They’re bad enough with fangs and claws, but exploding?”

Nova laughed at this outburst. All the things he had done, and, of course, she focused on exploding grimm. He never understood how she could bring the laughter out of him with her outbursts no matter the situation.

“Yep,” he said, attempting to calm his giggles. “That’s the guy. Mr. Exploding Grimm.”

“So, why do you ask?” she questioned, cocking her head to the side.

“Well,” Nova said upon finally regaining his composure. “Merlot’s back. And this time he’s got an army behind him. Thought having someone like you would help even the odds.”

“Just the two of us?” she exclaimed worriedly. “We’re facing an army! Even I can’t make that much of a difference. I’m just one huntress.”

“Good thing we’re not alone then,” Nova continued. “I got Gray heading to Atlas, and I’m going to need your help with our next recruit.”

“Me?” she said pointing to herself.

“Oh, yes,” Nova said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You’ll be crucial in acquiring our next member.”

“But why?” she inquired, gazing up at him.

“Because,” Nova said wryly. “He’s retired. But who can say no to his favorite niece?”

* * *

“You’re kidding me, right?”

Deep within the forest of Forever Fall, Nova and Ruby stood before a small log cabin. The logs making up the cabin rose to midway up the surrounding trees, ending in a simple gable roof top seemingly made from said trees. A completely unremarkable sight, save for the grey clothed man crouched upon it with a hammer in hand.

The grey dress shirt and black dress pants the man wore were weathered by age, but somehow still seemed as though they were meant to be that way. The rings on his right hand and sideways cross necklace he wore made his possibly formal appearance less so, compounded by the messily slicked back raven hair that showed streaks of gray running throughout. Red eyes reflected out of a very slightly tanned face as he gazed down at the new arrivals.

“I promise you,” Nova called up to Qrow. “I wish I was.”

“You’re telling me,” Qrow said after sitting down on the slanted roof. “That not only is Merlot alive, but that he’s also making people into grimm and using an army of White Fang for whatever crazy scheme he’s got cooked up.”

“That,” Ruby interjected. “Is almost exactly what he said.”

“So, what do you need me for?” Qrow continued. “You already have Ruby with you, not to mention Blue.”

Nova rolled his eyes at Qrow’s nickname for Gray before responding.

“You can never have enough backup. Besides, you’re still one of the best huntsmen I know.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Qrow said as he slid down the roof and landed on the ground in front of his visitors. “But you know I’m retired. Plus, I need to finish fixing my roof. Tree fell into it during the storm last week, but it’s making amends. One board at a time.”

He let out a chuckle at his own joke.

“Please, Uncle Qrow?” Ruby begged as she grabbed his arm. Even after all these years he was still taller than her. “We could really use your help. Please?”

Nova watched as Qrow smiled warmly at his niece. He’d been banking on this. A couple pleads and a few reluctant comments later, and Qrow would join them.

As Qrow appeared to mull it over in his head, Nova spoke again.

“I’d love to stay and see how this turns out, but I have one more appointment today. I’ll see you two in Atlas.”

Moving south toward Vale, Nova stopped a moment to call back.

“Ruby. I’m leaving it to you. Do whatever it takes to get him on the team.”

“Yes, Sir!” Ruby saluted back with her free hand.

A look of worry crossed Qrow’s face, but Nova wasn’t sticking around to see what happened next.

He had one day left to get everyone he wanted, and after how hard it was to sell Ironwood on the final member, He wasn’t going to waste his chance.

“Let’s hope it wasn’t for nothing…” Nova muttered under his breath.

* * *

As the elevator slowed to a stop, Nova breathed a sigh of relief. He was happy the meeting went so well. After all, even Oscar was pretty sure they could break out if they wanted to.

Speak of the Devil. As the doors slid open, the headmaster of Beacon stood before him. His head was downcast, and his eyes closed in thought. With his hands placed firmly in front of him on a familiar white handled cane, his entire demeanor oozed like that of Ozpin. The dark green suit-jacket he wore was open, revealing a deep red vest atop a black dress shirt that remained unbuttoned at the collar. The formality ended at his black dress pants, as he wore orange boots with black straps and soles. He raised his bowed head and opened hazel eyes that shined brightly against his tanned skin.

“So,” Oscar asked. “What did they say?”

“She was easier to convince then I thought,” Nova answered.

“Taking off ten life sentences _is_ a pretty substantial offer.”

“One worth giving for a little extra insurance,” Nova pointed out.

“Perhaps,” Oscar said with a hint of a smile.

Turning his body aside and gesturing for Nova to follow, he began walking toward the exit. The way was down a long gray corridor. Columns lined the wall, rising to the ceiling and forming arches with each other. Every column bore a green light illuminating the corridor so dimly shadows were cast in every nook of the hall.

As Nova moved after him, Oscar continued speaking.

“But one does have to wonder.”

As he said this, he glanced over his shoulder, and Nova saw his eyes… “twinkle” he supposed the word would be. Every now and then, for the briefest of moments, Oscar seemed to gain insight into whatever issue is before him. By all accounts, Ozpin faded away into Oscar’s consciousness, but his demeanor, attitude, and wisdom all reflect that of Ozpin. Once, Nova had asked Oscar about this, and Oscar had responded saying, “I am me, and so is he.”

Nova didn’t understand what he had meant by that, and if he was honest, he still didn’t. He had once told Gray what Oscar had said, and he seemed to understand what Oscar meant. Nova wasn’t sure why.

“You were very quick in not only gathering but also selecting who you wished to aid you. As if you planned for this. Why is that?”

Nova laughed humorlessly at this.

“Sometimes it’s annoying how smart you are.”

“Just experience. Centuries of it,” Oscar replied wryly.

Silence persisted between them for a few steps before Nova spoke again.

“After I last fought Merlot, I would’ve said he was dead. I knew I was wrong, but that’s the lie I told myself. But part of me refused to remain complacent. It told me the fight wasn’t over. Told me I still had a job to do

His words came out calmly. Metered, as if explaining something as clinically as possible.

“Preparation and patience. If I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s those two things. So, I planned. I found those I could trust. Those who have dealt with Merlot before. Those who could be coerced into helping when given the proper incentive. And I trained. Finding any way I could improve. Anything that could give me even the slightest advantage. And I knew he was doing the same. While I watched and prepared, so did he. And the reason I know is the very reason I hate him.”

Nova stopped walking. Oscar followed his example and turned to face him. Nova wore a solemn look on his face as he brought his hand up to his stump.

“Both of us,” Nova ended, “Are like grimm.”

Oscar gazed at his friend. He had never pieced together the whole story, but something happened between Nova and Merlot. Something that drove Nova to this conflict. Something more than simply stopping a madman. However, what Oscar did know was Nova was conflicted with himself. And that he could understand.

“When Ozpin first joined with my soul,” Oscar said calmly, “I was shocked and confused. Rightly so, I believe. I thought I was going mad, hearing his voice inside my head. However, as time went on, I grew to accept the truth of the matter. My body was no longer just my own. Though, in this acceptance came a question for which I had no answer.”

Oscar looked down at his cane.

“Am I still Oscar? With my mind no longer just mine, and the thoughts and memories of many lives flowing through me, the question become more relevant every day. It all came to a head the day Djinn showed us the reason we had been fighting. Ozpin locked himself away in my mind. That was when I discovered he had been keeping me afloat. Above the sea of twisting consciousness within me. Their weight dragged me down as the others began distrusting me. Unable to trust myself or be trusted by others, I left. I wandered aimlessly around Argus, pondering how much of me was Oscar, and how much was Ozpin. I didn’t find my answer then. What I realized instead was… that it didn’t matter. What did matter was that there were those who needed help. Not from an ancient wizard, nor a simple farm boy. But from me. Oscar Pine.”

Bringing his head up and meeting Nova’s eyes, he continued.

“It was only after this revelation that I could pull myself out of the current and distinguish myself from the others inside me.”

Oscar’s eyes seemed to be lances, piercing the very core of Nova’s being. His next words seemed to flow into the openings he had made, resting themselves deep inside.

“Remember. No matter how much you prepare or plan, unless you can conquer yourself, you will never truly win.”

Silence filled the hall as they stood there unmoving. Finally, Oscar rotated and continued onward toward their destination with Nova shortly following suit.

They exited Beacon Tower and walked through the main campus of Beacon Academy. It had taken a few years, but they had fully repaired and reconstructed the academy grounds and buildings. The familiar gray and white structures passed them by as they made their way to the main avenue of the school.

The new statue taking center stage of the colonnades greeted them as they stopped before it. During construction, Oscar had decided to change the statue instead of remake it. Now, the statue formed into a larger rock spire featuring numerous familiar huntsmen in combat poses on various plateaus around the spire, ready to face whatever threats lay before them. Atop the spire was the hooded scythe wielder who led them to victory.

“There are two reasons I had this statue made,” Oscar said as he gazed up the spire. “One: as a monument to honor all the brave souls who gave their lives to defend this world.”

He directed his eyes to one platform where a woman with long hair was bending her knees and placing her hand on the blade at her hip.

“And two: to celebrate those who made it back to us.”

At this, he turned his head to look at another outcropping where a young man stood wielding two swords in front of him, his face a mask. The sword in his right was held normally, turned horizontal before his body. The sword in in left was held as one might hold a dagger, placed below the right blade with the tip facing outward.

Oscar looked once more at Nova.

“You came back. You built a life. You continue to help those in need. And most importantly, you made a family.”

Oscar closed the distance between them and placed his hand on Nova’s right shoulder.

“Don’t forget what you’re fighting for.”

With that, Oscar began walking back to Beacon tower, leaving Nova to stare up at the stone carving and ruminate over what he had said.

Eventually, Nova left Beacon and made his way back to his transport. As he walked up, he could see Janus was leaning against the bullhead, speaking to two clearly enamored girls. He chuckled a little at the sight as Janus patted the machine and said something that made the girls giggle.

“Men in uniforms,” Nova thought to himself.

Aloud, he called, “Janus, I’m ready to go.”

Startled, Janus jolted off the craft and stood at attention. His admirers looked over at the source of the voice, and Nova could see how their eyes were drawn to the empty space where his arm should be. Ignoring the looks, as he had grown accustomed to doing, Nova continued.

“I want to be off the ground and on the way to Atlas as soon as possible.”

He paused for a second upon arriving in front of Janus before finishing.

“However,” he said in a quieter voice. “It would be very rude of you not to give these nice ladies a proper goodbye. Manners take precedence, after all.”

Nova gave Janus a wink as a confused, then comprehending, look crossed his face.

Nova opened and climbed into the aircraft, closing the door as Janus began giving his sincerest apologies to the now pouting girls.

“To Atlas we go,” Nova said to himself as he closed his eyes and sat back in one of the chairs. “With the team together, all that’s left is for Ironwood to tell us where they are. Then, we can put this thing to rest.”

He smiled at this and let himself drift off to sleep. When he next awoke, he would be in Atlas, but for now, he enjoyed this peaceful, dreamless sleep. After all, you should always enjoy the calm before the storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My favorite part of this chapter was Oscar's speech. So many times, my editor said the one thing he almost never has to change is my dialogue. I'm proud whenever I write a speech that feels like the character. The outburst in the previous chapter was definitely Merlot, but it was also more of an exaggerated Merlot compared to later chapters.


	5. Many Reasons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wonder what the villains are up to?

Veridian walked down one of the many long corridors of her current base. The gray metallic walls and floors were brightly illuminated by overhead lamps suspended to the curved ceiling. Moving down the pathway she passed many fellow members scurrying to their destination, most likely fulfilling some order Merlot imposed upon them. The man had started taking a more active leadership role since the breakout and the perfection of his ‘grimmace.’

She shook her head at the thought. The good doctor was many things, but a creative namer was not one of them. Even so, this advancement fueled the fire within him, causing him to up their timetable. Their first move, scheduled for next month, was now placed firmly three days from today. Such a radical change worried her, but Merlot knew what he was doing. If she could trust anything, it had to be Merlot. She just wished his methods weren’t so… eccentric.

Case in point. As she exited the tunnel-like hallway, she entered the facility’s mess. Looking around in confusion, an occurrence that had become more common in recent years, her mouth slackened.

The large cube that was the mess was buzzing with activity. This would be normal save for the fact that lunch time was three hours ago. White Fang scurried around the mess carrying lumber and tools to the skeletal frame of a stage at the far wall of the room. The tables and chairs had been arranged so that they were all in front of the soon-to-be stage.

Veridian, feeling a headache coming on, scanned the room for any sign of Merlot. A few seconds of searching rewarded her as she saw him off to the side with one of her captains, looking over two pieces of colored cloth spread out on a table.

Quickly weaving between the small aisles created by the chairs, she approached the man that was both her hope and bane.

“Merlot,” she began with a huff. “Do you mind telling me what on Remnant you’re doing?”

Merlot turned away from the table with an appreciative expression on his face.

“Ah, Ms. Vallus,” Merlot said spreading his arms out. “How fortuitous of you to join us now. Could you please settle something for us? Jenkins,” he gestured to the nearby Faunus with small, tube-like ears. “Believes that we should use the chartreuse while I think the forest green shows better against the steel gray of the walls.”

Merlot then moved aside to reveal the cloths they had been peering at on the table. He watched her expectantly, directing his arms toward the cloth.

“Why,” Veridian asked pinching her nose, “Is this your priority right now? We are about to execute the biggest operation we’ve ever undertaken, and your worried about the complimentary color of two pieces of cloth?!”

“Ms. Vallus,” Merlot said looking uncharacteristically serious, “How am I supposed to throw a proper welcoming party if the decorations are hideous? I will be the laughingstock of all of Remnant, not to mention a poor host.”

“I…” Veridian began before giving up on whatever she was about to say. “Whatever. Just tell me what your building.”

Merlot, his perpetual smile returning, moved his hands to present the stage.

“The stage for our celebration! Food and drink will be served, our wonderful group will be performing for the entertainment of all, speeches will be made, and all over the course of a day. A wonderful way to prepare for our inevitable victory.”

Veridian’s headache grew as she stewed over Merlot’s words. The man seemed to take joy in being as foolish as possible. Could the downside of incredible intelligence be the complete loss of all sense? Whatever the case, she needed to hear his answer before making any rash decisions.

“Will this,” She asked slowly, “Hinder our operation in any way?”

“Of course not!” Merlot said, waving aside her concerns as though the mere thought was ludicrous. “If anything, it will aid our plan’s chances of success.”

The words seemed ridiculous, but she decided to let him explain himself.

“And how is that?”

“While I do not wish to give too much away…,” Merlot said nonchalantly. “Let us say we have some very special guests coming to visit.”

“Guests?” Veridian asked with a raised eyebrow. “What guests?”

“I not sure of all the details,” Merlot said moving to the left side of the stage. “But Mr. Grimm is coming, and any friends of his are guests of mine.”

Now Veridian was confused.

“Who the hell is Mr. Grimm?”

“My muse.” He said simply before changing the subject. “Numbers 47 and 63.”

Two Faunus who had been idly chatting nearby quickly approached and came to attention before Merlot.

“One of you go ask the cooks what they decided to serve for the party. Make sure they have a vegetarian option. I do not want any of our guests to be excluded. The other will go help Jenkins with the curtain. I want the forest green hung up by the time I get back.”

The Faunus immediately rushed off to follow their respective orders. This involved an initial road bump as they both started for the kitchen, but the one Merlot labeled 63 quickly, and embarrassedly, made a heel turn and jogged over to where Jenkins still stood.

“Your muse?” Veridian questioned, trying to pull Merlot back on topic. “So, he’s on our side?”

“Oh, no,” Merlot replied as he moved toward the exit. “He is most certainly preparing to ruin our plans as we speak. That, or at least kill me. It’s hard to tell sometimes which he finds more important.”

Veridian felt the incessant urge to wring the man’s neck as she continued to follow Merlot into the hallway past the exit.

“Then why,” she asked, “Are you treating him like he’s an old friend? I swear, you are one of the most infuriating people I’ve ever met in my life!”

“Don’t worry,” Merlot chuckled out. “He won’t arrive till we are ready. Doing so would make me a poor host for being unprepared, and him a poor guest for knowing I would be. But I promise you, by the time we are finished with the preparations, he will have found his way here.”

Veridian stopped walking. She stared incredulously at Merlot’s back before he stopped as well, turning to face her. An innocent smile she knew to be genuine played across his face.

She didn’t know what to say. The man was mad. He always did this! The man treated everything like it was a game where he was the only one who knew the rules. All anyone could do was struggle along until Merlot told them they were playing wrong, or they lost. It didn’t make sense. _He_ never made sense!

As the anger built up inside her, Merlot looked her over and frowned at what he saw. He stroked his beard in silence as more White Fang scurried around them in the hallway. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers.

“I have a wonderful idea! I was saving this for the party, but how about I give you your gift early. I promise you will love it. Follow me.”

Before she could tell the madman to go jump off a cliff, Merlot walked briskly down the hall away from her. She thought about just letting him go and finding something to cut to pieces, but she knew that would only make him bother her about it. Belatedly, she followed after him.

Merlot weaved past the many bodies in the corridors without slowing down to even check if Veridian was following. Whether this was because he trusted she was there, or that he was so intent on his objective that he was unaware of his surroundings, she didn’t know. Veridian, however, was inclined to believe the latter.

When he finally stopped, Veridian was surprised where he had brought them. She realized he had brought them to the center of the compound. The reason she knew was that the black door before them had a gold plaque with black lettering saying “Merlot.”

“Why are we at your office? In all the time we’ve been here, I’ve never once seen you in this office.”

“I go here,” He said quickly before amending. “Sometimes. Whenever I get tired. Luckily, I don’t need worry much about that these days.”

He opened the door and glided inside, motioning her to follow. She slowly followed and took in her surroundings.

It was the same kind of room as any of Merlot’s various labs around the facility. Scientific scribbles were tacked across the walls and models of different Grimm were placed on the shelfs with books on subjects she couldn’t hope to understand. At the far end of the room was a single desk littered with papers and a single cushioned chair behind it. She realized that also behind the desk was a figure in a black jacket with a single red rose emblazoned on it she felt she had seen somewhere. Their back was turned toward her as they were examining a large map of Remnant hung on the back wall.

“Merlot,” The figure spoke with voice as familiar as the jacket. “I’ve made my decision.”

The figure turned to face them, and Veridian was speechless for the second time that day.

It was him. Adam Taurus. She couldn’t believe it. It made no sense. After Mistral effectively killed the White Fang as a unified organization, there had been no sign of him. Seen as either dead or a coward, Adam had been willfully forgotten by most of the remaining members, save for those who still believed in or blamed him. This caused further dissension among the ranks, making it easier for the military to stomp out their dying flame. These occurrences made it all too clear that Adam was both the ground which the White Fang stood upon, and the earthquake that shattered it.

And now, here he stood, looking no different than the last time she laid eyes upon him. Well, there was one difference. She saw that he wore no mask, revealing two gold eyes blazing from of an unmarred face. Rumor was he bore a scar over his left eye, but either that had been false or removed after whatever Merlot had done to him. That, though, begged a bigger question.

“What happened to you?”

What had been meant to be an exclamation of confusion and anger came out as a soft whisper. Despite this, it became obvious that at least one of the men had heard it.

“Oh, It’s quite the tale! It all started…”

“Merlot,” Though not spoken loudly, Adam’s words conveyed a calm power. “Who is this woman?”

“This,” Merlot gestured to the dumbstruck Faunus beside him. “Is Veridian Vallus. She is the one I told you about. Were it not for her, I doubt you would be walking around right now.”

Adam’s eyes dragged across the woman’s form, silently assessing her as she stared unabashedly at her hero, still frozen in shock.

Slowly, Adam stalked around the desk, planting himself before her. He stretched out his right hand while resting his left on the hilt of Wilt.

“Thank you,” Adam said as he met her eyes. “It’s because of you that I will be able to finish what we started so long ago.”

Shaken out of her stupor, her hand shot out to meet his. She was unable to put any force into shaking it, but she managed to force out a few words.

“I… I was only following your example, Sir.”

Adam’s mouth opened in a small grin as he removed his hand from hers.

“Merlot told me everything that’s happened, everything you’ve done to keep our dream alive, and I know that must have been difficult. My only question is, ‘Will you follow me one last time?’”

Veridian didn’t have to even think. The answer had been pre-ordained form the moment she had first heard Adam speak. In the end, Merlot had made good on his promise, and she knew she’d never be able to repay him for it.

“Without question, Sir!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter with my editor. It took a while before he got used to my style of writing, but he eventually understood the characters as I did, even contributing a few good lines for them (By them, I mean Merlot. We both love him as a character). The last villain chapter set the groundwork for the character, but this trilogy of chapters firmly established him. The only thing I wish I had done better was Veridian. I feel like I had a hard time distinguishing her among the other characters I was establishing in the story. With how much I have planned for her, it's disappointing that I feel she gets lost in the fray.


	6. This Reason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wonder what Merlot was doing (during the Fall).

**11 years ago**

“And thus… we must begin anew.”

Merlot watched through one of the many monitors before him as another of his test subjects slowly dissolved into a black puddle. He shook his head, typing on the large console before him and listing the failure. Turning off the monitor showing the testing room, he sat back in his chair and interlocked his fingers, pondering the predicament.

All the information he had gathered from his experiments had led him to one conclusion. Animals were incapable of surviving the serum. Every creature’s body began to break down once injected for a reason Merlot was unable to identify. If he hazarded a guess though, it seemed to him that Grimm were so inexorably different from any other animal on Remnant that any injection is treated like a foreign contaminant. Since the body is unable to effectively fight it off, it begins destroying itself from the inside. And yet, the few experiments he performed on himself showed the serum temporarily merging with his DNA. During this time, he healed quicker, felt more aware of his surroundings, and felt capable of running from one end of Sanus to the other. Eventually, his body would also treat it as a foreign entity and evacuate it out of any available orifice.

He realized he couldn’t keep testing on himself as he was the only one with the knowledge needed to continue the experiments. If something happened to him, it would all disappear. Now, with animal testing no longer an option, he found himself in a predicament.

Loathe as he was to consider it, it may have been time to move on to other human test subjects. He had hoped that it could be put off until he could be certain there were no risks to the testers, but that seemed impossible. Despite this, he was galled by the prospect. As he refused to force someone to be a part of his experiments, he would have to somehow find willing subjects. Efforts to do so may draw unwanted attention from the military (or someone even less forgiving), but what other choice did he have?

Suddenly, one of the monitors flashed with a message. He realized it was from one of the scout drones he had assigned to follow those girls who destroyed his island. Well, he had destroyed his island, but they had left him no choice. With such interesting and talented girls, it behooved him to study them. Since they had been assigned, the drones had produced many wonderful results. Rare grimm oft-not seen by man such as the Nuckelavee, a colony of apathy that, while mostly eliminated, provided a few new subjects for study, and a glimpse at the forces of this ‘Salem’. Priceless information.

Pressing a few buttons, the monitor lit up with a scene he had not expected. Two of the girls, which he identified as Miss Xiao Long and Belladonna, were engaging in combat with someone he knew only in passing from the recordings the drones had sent back. Adam Taurus. Leader of the White Fang. Terrorist. They were atop a cliff with sheer walls on all sides. Waterfalls cascaded around them, making the place almost serene if it weren’t for the blood splattered across the ground.

Merlot wondered why the scout was showing him this when he noticed another screen had lit up. One of the scouts had pulled away from its targets and flown over the open ocean. Then Merlot saw it. A Massive Grimm, large enough to make a skyscraper tremble in fear, was making its way toward the city.

Merlot practically salivated over all the data he could collect from this new creature, but as entranced as he was by it, something stole his attention.

On the previous screen, the girls had stabbed Adam from both sides with a broken blade. The Faunus looked stunned as they yanked the shards out of his body. He stumbled forwards, collapsing to his knees before finally tumbling off the cliff and receiving a brutal blow to the head as he disappeared into the mist.

Merlot pondered why this had interested him. A Grimm he had never seen before was about to reveal itself, but he was watching this.

Then it came to him. The answer to his problem. He pressed a button, and a microphone extended upward from the console. Two seconds passed, and it connected to a few of his advanced Grimm in the area.

“Number 15, 32, and 84. I am transmitting coordinates to you now. Go there, and you will find a Faunus. You may have to drudge him from the river. This is a priority alpha! Time is of the essence! Target must be acquired alive. Transport him to poltergeist 3 and await further instructions.”

Merlot rose from his chair and moved to one of his labs. He needed to prepare it quickly. After all, company would be here soon.

* * *

Merlot didn’t believe in God or any higher beings watching over everything, but if they did exist, they were smiling down upon him today.

He stood in the hanger beside two advanced beowolves on either side of a gurney. They watched silently as the poltergeist possessed bullhead lowered down to the ground. The air rushed past them as the engines died, rustling Merlot’s lab coat and tousling the Grimms’ fur.

As the ship’s hatch fully opened, the Grimm rushed aboard and, moments later, moved out with a new form upon the gurney. Not slowing down, the Grimm ran past the doctor who quickly followed. As they zoomed through the metallic halls, Merlot’s robotic eye scanned over the still body of Adam and evaluated its condition.

It was worse than he would have liked. Nearly fatal stab wound to the abdomen, massive blood loss, fractured skull, a frostbitten arm, and, to top it all off, hypothermia. By that point, Merlot was shocked when his eye detected a miniscule heartbeat. So faint that it was almost non-existent, but there, nonetheless. He was ecstatic.

Bursting through double doors, they arrived in a large empty room. The only objects occupying the space were a metal circular platform at the opposite end of the room and a small console beside it.

This was a special laboratory Merlot had created for this express purpose. The platform in the middle would become incased and act as a healing pod for whatever subject required it. Having planned for many to join his cause, they were placed all over the facility. He was glad they were no longer going to waste.

The Grimm wheeled the gurney to a stop in front of the platform, turning as they did. Merlot watched as the Grimm lifted Adam from the cart and moved him over the platform, gently placing him upon it.

As Merlot moved to the console, the Grimm dutifully retreated with the gurney in tow. A quick button press lowered a helmet from the roof above the platform.

Walking up to the body, Merlot carefully attached the helmet to Adam’s head, making sure it was secure before returning to the console. Flicking a few switches, Merlot watched as a tube of glass descended from above to seal around the platform. Black fluid immediately began filling the capsule, overtaking Adam and leaving only opaque liquid in his place.

Merlot stepped back and put his hands on his hips, a smile on his face.

“Now,” he said as he turned to leave, “We wait.”

* * *

Merlot could not understand it. What would it take?

Three months had passed, and Adam remained in a comatose state. He had begun to worry when Adam had not awoken after a week of the treatment, but he still did not understand why.

His vital were good, brain activity nominal, and the readings showed the serum had fully bonded with Adam’s cells. By all accounts, he should be awake and ready to show what he could do. But there he was, floating in grimmace as he had been since he was brought here.

What could be done? Merlot had pored over his research, but with no precedent, he was flying blind.

He was getting desperate. With every passing day, the thought of giving up on Adam grew, replaced with ideas of more promising test subjects. Perhaps someone younger, or at least not trapped in a coma! Those rebellious thoughts were shoved away. This had to work! There had to be some way to make it happen. And he would figure it out, no matter how long it took.

* * *

9 Years ago

He had done it! After two long years, he found the solution. If he was not already worried that he was going mad cooped up in here, the idea might sound crazy.

In a decision he had not come to lightly, Merlot put aside his morals and acted in the greater good. Searching through hospital records, he investigated both human and Faunus subjects in similar states as Adam. Though it took much time and planning, he was able to plant his own monitors on the patients without being discovered. Not to mention, and he certainly was not proud to, the grimmace he had injected into each of them. While it would vacate their bodies safely, he hated doing so against their will. In the end though, the thought of progress won out.

His tests showed that the grimmace bonding with the subjects wasn’t the problem, but the subjects themselves, in a way. The comas the subjects were in, while physically healed by the grimmace, still left their mental faculties locked in a limbo-like state. This state kept them within their minds. Dreaming, remembering, or whatever it is people in comas do.

There was no time to lose! In theory, all he needed to do was find a way to break through the, for lack of a better term, purgatory the subjects were trapped within, and he would finally have his test subject.

And his method was just crazy enough to work!

* * *

Merlot examined his new surroundings and could honestly say they were not what he was expecting. He stood before the entrance of a massive, decrepit hallway. A dim light coming from an unseen source allowed Merlot to see the rotting wooden structure where he found himself. Cracked and battered doors stood open the entirety of its length, ending in two large oaken doors that stood ajar, one hanging off a single hinge.

The device had worked better than he could have hoped. Linking the neuropathways of two separate beings sounded absurd when he had first conceived it, but the science behind it seemed sound. Now that he was putting it into practice, he realized he shouldn’t have doubted himself.

However, that didn’t mean it was perfect. This was uncharted territory. The interlocking of two separate minds was unheard of and could have unforeseen consequences. The possibility for permanent damage to both subjects’ minds was staggering to say the least. Still, if it meant he could finely achieve his goal, Merlot would put everything on the line.

Resolve bolstered, Merlot began the journey down the hall.

As he made his way through the crumbling hall, he found himself gazing through the many doorways throughout. The sights that greeted him were as varied as they were fascinating.

Past one of the first doors was a cave even darker than the building. A small boy with red and brown hair slowly chipped away at the rock with a pickaxe before wiping perspiration from his brow. The brown work pants and white t-shirt he wore had been caked in dust from hours of working in the caves. The boy’s muscles strained themselves each time he lifted the tool, his technique sloppy and ineffective. Obviously, the boy wasn’t used to this kind of work.

Another door showed the same boy being held down on his back by two men on either side. The boy flailed uselessly in their grip as a third man pushed his head down and lowered a glowing branding iron to his face. The next showed the boy slightly older, his body hardened by life in the mines, being beaten by three men while others his age either watched with indifference or pretended not to notice.

After more doors showing similar scenes, Merlot glanced through one to find the boy adrift at sea. A transport drifted downward into the waves as the boy floated there motionless. As he went on, he saw the boy shivering under a blanket aboard a boat, apparently having been fished out of the water. Merlot found himself chuckling at that image.

Now the boy was wearing a red shirt, black jeans, and a black cloth over his left eye as he sat in a large family room. A mountain of a man who Merlot recognized as Ghira Belladonna kneeled before him, his intimidating form at odds with the kind look on his face as he gazed at the boy. Gently, he placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

The next scene was of the boy wielding a wooden sword against a practice dummy. The boy struck swiftly and viciously, attacking the dummy with an anger that had little outlet over the previous years. Ghira stood off to the side, watching the boy with interest. The boy stopped swinging, a sheen of sweat glistening across his brow. It seems that years in the mines did wonders for one’s stamina. The boy turned to face Ghira before glancing in another direction.

Hiding behind a nearby tree, a little girl with long black hair and amber eyes watched him intently. The ears atop her head began to flick nervously as she realized where he was looking but made no motion to either escape or approach. They stayed that way for several seconds before the boy gave her a small smile and went back to striking the dummy with even greater fervor than before.

As the doors’ contents became more monotonous in their showings, Merlot began to wonder how much time was passing. The brain was able to process thoughts far faster than the time it would take to say them aloud. It stood to reason that all this could be taking place within the span of a few minutes. Maybe even seconds. Either way, this hallway was much longer than he had originally thought.

The doors continued forward through the boys life and began showing things Merlot had already known through his information gathering. A relationship with the young Belladonna, joining the White Fang, slowly making it into the terrorist organization the public viewed it as, losing Miss Belladonna, the alliance with Cinder, his fateful encounter with Miss Belladonna, the overthrowing and death of Sienna Khan (something that he found interesting, as it was played off as a human’s assault), and finally, the failed assault on Haven.

He had reached the end of the hallway and finally found himself before the largest doors. He gingerly pushed the single hinged door which promptly snapped of the hinge and slammed down on the floor of the chamber within. He cautiously stepped over the door and entered the room beyond.

A large chamber loomed over him ominously in the dim light. A wide, red carpet, faded and torn, spread out from the entrance between large columns to end at a stairway leading to a throne. Though there was no source, deep red, almost black, stains were splashed across the floor of the room.

Merlot preceded further within and examined it with calm analysis. The pillars on either side showed deep fissures and gouges in their wooden frames. The torches that once hung from the columns had all but fallen to the floor save for a select few that seemed on the verge.

He could now see the throne was destroyed as well. A large diagonal chunk of the chair had been unceremoniously sliced from the whole and lay on the platform forgotten. The large banners hanging around the wooden cave were shredded and torn. Even so, Merlot could still make out the White Fang insignia despite the lack of light.

He stood there in the center of the room, taking it all in. Unbidden, thoughts began to invade his mind. He could see this Throne room as it once was. Lanterns casting their light across its expanse. A throne, whole and well-used, surveying its domain as subjects came to seek guidance. The wear, rot, and cold of the future unseen, showing it for what it was. A bright stage from which to rise before the masses and show them the truth.

…And then it all came crashing down.

All the years of time and effort! The plans and manipulations! A life’s pursuit of a single goal! Dashed away in the wind! Forgotten! Destroyed! Everything _I_ had worked for! Everything _I_ deserved! Gone! Torn away from me by the humans once again! By the Faunus I trusted! By the _one_ I trusted! And it all comes of nothing!!!! They! Will!...

Merlot fell to the ground, sweat washing across his brow despite the bone-chilling cold invading him. The cold quickly turned into an intense flame that roared inside his chest. A furious, irrational hatred filled his very soul. The erratic rage directed itself at anything and everything that ever was, is, and will be. He felt as though he could tear the whole world asunder with just the cries of hatred he felt boiling in his throat. The blinding fury threatened to consume him, leaving nothing but an empty husk with one purpose. Destroy.

He desperately clung to the thought of his failsafe. The computer monitoring their connection was set to pull him out of the loop if he willed it. A simple thought, and this would all be over.

The anger directed itself at the thought, appalled that he would give up so easily. After so much time and effort, when they were so near the goal, he was just going to quit? That was unacceptable.

…And it was right.

Merlot focused on the raging maelstrom within himself, and slowly began forcing it out. It was not a part of him. This was Adam, not him. Even so…

As though he had been pushing an actual storm, A mighty wind rushed out from him, whipping around the cavern and knocking down the remaining torches, tearing away the banners before ceasing as suddenly as it began.

Merlot kneeled there on the ground, breathing heavily from the mental onslaught he just experienced. He wondered absently what breathing and sweating did for him in the mind, but those thoughts were pushed aside, irrelevant until further notice.

Slowly, he brought himself back to his feet, still wobbly from the strain he had just experienced. He stumbled his way over to the throne, practically tripping his way up the stairs, and collapsed into the crumbling chair.

Despite its current state, Merlot found that the chair was actually quite comfortable. As he began to calm down, he began reassessing his situation. First, he could deduce that this hallway and room reflect Adam’s inner self. More specifically, his memories. The decrepit status of such a place could be alluding to his current mental state, the condition his body is in, or perhaps some internal struggle. Second, the wave of emotions he felt crashing down upon him must relate to how Adam is feeling now. Either that means it is what was keeping him here, or it was merely a side effect. However, perhaps the most important observation is that Adam himself is nowhere to be found. Could this mean that Adam is only perceivable as the memories he witnessed, or maybe stowed away in some other corner of his mind. An answer that must become priority.

As if in response (maybe exactly that.), the world turned, and Merlot found himself somewhere he had only seen once. Atop the rocky plateau where Adam made his last stand. And there, only a few feet away from where Merlot sat, kneeled the Faunus at the edge of the cliff.

The world filled with the sound of rushing water and blowing wind. The Faunus’ hair gently moved with the wind as he gazed down over the edge. The very same edge he had fallen over so long ago. He neither moved nor even acknowledged the Doctor’s presence, more a statue than a person. As though trapped in that one moment, unable to move forward. Purgatory may have been more appropriate than Merlot anticipated.

Merlot considered approaching with caution, suddenly very aware that this could be a trap. Maybe Adam’s subconscious was now considering him a threat of some sort?

However, Merlot realized he had no real choice in the matter. Here Adam was, and unless he wanted to start back from square one, Merlot had to take this chance.

He stood from the chair and walked over to where the Faunus sat motionless. Once he was within a foot of the man, close enough to reach out and touch him, Merlot spoke.

“Adam Taurus, I presume?”

After a few seconds of silence, Merlot contemplated that this may just be another piece of background with no agency. However, just as he began considering what his next move was, the Faunus answered.

“No,” a calm, resonating voice echoed outward from the form. Though little more than a whisper, the voice rose above the crashing water and howling wind, and Merlot even felt as though it flowed through him as well. The being gestured over the edge he kneeled before.

“He’s down there.”

Suitably intrigued, Merlot came beside the creature and looked down the rock face to the area below. His eyebrows rose in surprise at the sight that greeted him.

While the surrounding forest below showed nothing of interest, the river flowing through it was. The river was a pure, translucent white of writhing, rushing souls. That was the only way he could describe it. The souls within the torrent were almost shapeless, barely recognizable as humanoid but with none of the features. Their mouths opened wide in silent wails of terror as they swept by. And in the center of that flow, floating unmoving above the water, was Adam.

Adam floated face-up on the current, eyes closed on an expressionless face. As the souls passed him by, they uselessly clawed at him. Whether they were attempting to stop their own flow or drag him down with them was unclear. Either way, Adam’s body never moved, anchored to the spot by some unknown force.

Merlot turned to the being that had taken his form with interest. He then asked what he believed was the obvious question.

“Then, who are you?”

The being rose from his kneeling position as though he had been pulled up by the scruff of his neck. He turned to face Merlot, and Merlot noticed the difference was not only in his voice. The face that greeted him was completely unmarred with eyes like two perfect pearls.

“I,” the ethereal voice came without the slightest movement of the creature’s lips. “Am Lethe.”

Merlot contemplated the entity before him, choosing his next words carefully. Whatever this being was, he could not tip his hand until he was aware of its motivations.

“Tell me, Lethe.” he said slowly, staring into the pools of moonlight the being bore. “What is your purpose here in Adam’s mind? Are you the reason he remains trapped within his own consciousness?”

Lethe did not reply for a long moment, meeting Merlot’s gaze. Or, at least, Merlot thought he was. With eyes of pure white, focus was hard to discern.

“Yes. And no.”

Lethe glanced back down at Adam’s still form.

“I am here to grant Adam’s wish. The reason we find ourselves like this… is because he’s afraid.”

“Afraid?” Merlot asked. When he had entered Adam’s mind, he had not known what to expect. Even so, speaking with a foreign entity already within Adam’s mind would never have even been considered.

“Yes.” The bewitching voice almost sounded wistful as it continued. “Adam wishes to forget. His past. His failures. Himself. He wishes it to be washed away. However, a great fear holds him back. Resists his own desires.”

Merlot considered this statement. A great fear? If what this entity claimed was true, then what could be so terrifying that it would override his very desire to disappear?

Before he could consider the question further, Lethe spoke again.

“And so, we remain at an impasse. I cannot fulfill my duties, and he cannot release the fear he clings to. Therefore, I have no option but to wait for whatever may come next. Be it the fulfillment of my duty, or his end.”

Lethe took a jilted step toward Merlot, his focus now unmistakably on the scientist.

“But what of you, Grigio Merlot?” A small chill ran down Merlot’s spine. It had been such a long time since anyone had used his first name, and it unnerved him that this creature knew it.

“You seek a goal that is always out of reach. The very people you hope to benefit work against you. You continue onward in the pursuit of an impossible dream. Would it not be easier to end this repetitious cycle of failure? To finally obtain peace after a lifetime of searching? To simply forget?”

The words flowed over Merlot in a calming wave. He could feel his dreams begin to drain away from him, replaced with serenity he’d never known. He gazed deeper and deeper into the pale circles of Lethe’s face, adrift in their empty depths.

What had he even been fighting for? He was so tired. The world he had worked so hard for was repulsed by him. Did his dream really matter? Perhaps, it was time to let go… and forget. His mind swirled deeper into the peace Lethe offered. The peace that could only be obtained by forgetting everything.

However, deep within himself, something began stirring. First a spark, then a small flame, gradually growing into a fire. A conviction, a solemn vow he had made long ago burned brightly from within his very soul. It roared in indignation at the thought of abandoning all the years of effort, blood, and hard choices. It rejected the soothing peace and replaced it with blazing determination, swallowing it whole.

Merlot tore his eyes away from Lethe’s and panted deeply, not daring to look back lest he be pulled in again. Lethe watched serenely, seemingly unaware of what had occurred.

“I see,” Lethe spoke as Merlot began to regain his composure, careful not to meet his eyes. “You are not yet ready to accept the peace I have to offer. It does not matter. All beings that seek change will one day know me. It is as it always is. You will be no exception.”

The certainty and finality with which he spoke made Merlot shudder, but he finally brought his mind back to the matter at hand. Adam was anchored in the river below. If he was going to make any further headway toward his goal, he needed Adam out of that river.

Coming to a possibly dangerous decision, Merlot quickly removed his lab coat to reveal (Editor’s note: As this sentence was written, the thought of how quickly this could turn into a slash fiction crossed the writer’s mind. They wanted that to be known for some reason.) a gray button-up. Merlot extended the coat to the silent being.

“If you could please hold onto this,” Merlot said. “I’m about to do something unwise.”

The entity stared silently at Merlot’s outstretched hand before slowly accepting the coat. He continued to say nothing as Merlot took a few steps back before charging and leaping over the edge.

Wind rushed past as he plummeted down toward the river. Merlot began to fervently imagine himself hitting the water with as little force as possible. If this was the world of the mind, then he could hopefully induce wanted effects into it if he willed it strongly enough.

The moment of truth came as he crashed into the river. All his willing seemed like it worked as, while a not unsubstantial splash originated from his entry, the impact felt as though he had landed on and then flowed into a mattress.

The first thing Merlot felt was the cold. A chill that washed over him with the same intensity he had felt gazing into Lethe’s eyes. Souls began to swarm him, clawing and wailing mutely at the doctor. Their grips were as incorporeal as they had been on Adam, but wherever they touched began to grow numb. Merlot tried to kick and push them away, but he merely went through them, chilling his limbs for his trouble.

He realized he only had so long before he lost all his strength to the current. He swam upward toward the floating figure above, reaching out as he came closer. Gripping the Faunus’ arm, Merlot jerked his head above the water gasping and began slowly dragging Adam to the shoreline.

More spirits coursed around them, seemingly enraged by the attempt to take their property away. They slashed and grasped more ferociously, and Merlot could feel his strength draining away with the river flow. Numbness ingrained itself deeper into his body with every passing second. Despite this, Merlot never relinquished his grip on the Faunus and kicked with all his might. Just a few…more…feet!

Merlot brought his open hand down and made a vice grip on the forest ground. With more strength than he thought he had left, he pulled himself out of the water with a growl of triumph. He began dragging himself further out, the Faunus little more than luggage at this point. After one minute of effort, Merlot released the Faunus and rolled onto his back, his breath ragged and quick. He stared up through the trees at a gray sky gaining a blue hue before his eyes.

Footsteps sounded from out of view, and soon Lethe could be seen hovering over Merlot, looking down at the exhausted scientist.

“And now that you have him, what do you plan to do?”

Merlot gazed at the being, beginning to find his voice again through the slowing gasps.

“I’m going,” He managed to force out between breaths. “To change… the world.”

Lethe said nothing for several moments before responding.

“And what then?”

Merlot had no answer for the entity, nor did Lethe give him time to find one. After the question, Lethe walked out of view, his footsteps receding for a moment before abruptly cutting off, leaving only the sound of Merlots own tired breathes and the rushing river.

Merlot lay there, putting aside the being’s questions for another time, and began considering his next move. He sluggishly brought himself upright and looked at his hard-fought prize.

Adam lay close by, his chest rising and falling, his breathes the only movement Merlot could see. Merlot brought himself to his feet and noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

His lab coat was hanging from the branch of a nearby tree. Merlot moved over to and gently took it from the branch. He began to put it on when he realized something. He wasn’t wet, nor could he feel the cold that had gripped him within the river. He glanced over at Adam and found the same result. He was positive they had been swimming through water, or at least some liquid. Why weren’t they wet?

Merlot shook his head. It did not matter right now. What mattered was waking up Adam. Finishing putting on his coat, he took the few steps needed to stand beside the Faunus. Coming down to one knee, Merlot began to gently shake the Faunus, causing him to stir.

Adam’s eyelids began to flutter open, woozy and unfocused. Blinking as if to banish the sleep from his eyes, he finally began to become aware of his surroundings.

Adam’s eyes immediately flitted to Merlot. He quickly rolled away, jumped to his feet, and reached for his hip, never once taking his eyes off Merlot. His hand grasped empty air for a moment before he narrowed his eyes at the human. Merlot decided he had better say something before this got out of hand.

“Before you do anything rash, know that I am not here to hurt you. In fact, I just saved your life.”

Merlot let that sink in as he saw Adam’s eyes glance toward the river, lingering on the wailing spirits within for a moment longer than intended. His eyes jerked back to Merlot, and he let out a grunt.

“And why would you do that, human?” he asked in a low, threatening tone. Merlot refused to let it phase him. This is what he had been waiting for.

“Because I want to make an offer.”

Adam scoffed at his words, glaring at the doctor with murder in his eyes.

“Another human with another offer. Do you really believe that I’m stupid enough to listen to you now? Go peddle your ideas elsewhere.”

“I would never be so foolish,” Merlot said slowly, keeping his tone even and non-threatening. “I believe you are ambitious. I believe you took steps to meet those ambitions and were cast aside by those you sought to help.”

Adam said nothing, his expression never changing, but he also made no movement to attack or leave, so Merlot pressed on.

“I also have ambitions. Ones that others seem incapable of understanding. They work to stop me while all I wish to do is help them. I have come to realize that if I want to succeed, I must gain the support of other like-minded individuals. Ones with whom I can share my dream, and those with the will to achieve their own dreams.”

Merlot gestured to the river.

“When I saw you cut down, I saw an opportunity. I saw the potential for a mutually beneficial partnership between two individuals who had been cast aside by this world while only seeking its betterment. I saw a chance for us to reach our dreams. Together.”

Adam stared into Merlot’s eyes, searching them for deceit or lies. He silently appraised the human, never untensing.

“And why should I believe you when those I’ve known far longer have shown just how untrusting I should be?”

A small smile affixed itself to Merlot’s lips.

“I suppose there is only one way to find out.”

Merlot took two steps forward and stopped at the midpoint between them. He slowly reached out his hand.

“My name is Doctor Grigio Merlot.”

The Faunus stared at Merlot and then at his outstretched hand. Seconds passed by as they stood there, neither moving nor speaking. The coursing river filled the silence with the soft roar of flowing water.

Slowly. Agonizingly slowly, Adam approached the human and took his outstretched hand.

“Adam Taurus.”

With a firm shake, Merlot’s smile widened further. This was the start of a wonderful partnership.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, we literally have Merlot exploring the dark corners of Adam's mind. Strangely enough, this chapter was more about understanding Merlot as opposed to Adam. How he operates, what he willing to do for his goal, and how he feels about the choices he's forced to make. These chapters really sold him for me, and do a lot to set up his relationship with Nova and what he does at the end of the story.


	7. Unreasonable Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our thrilling conclusion to the villain backstory arc!

“And I can’t use my weapons… why?”

Adam ripped his black hand out of one of the many Grimm he had been fighting for the last ten minutes. His distorted voice echoed around the room as his white claws dripped a black ooze that slowly dissipated before it could hit the ground. The other advanced beowolves stalked around him cautiously, watching for an opening.

The large circular chamber they occupied had two large doors on either side of the wall. Large tubes protruded from the ceiling surrounded by bright lights embedded in the metallic frame. As the dead Grimm dusted away, vents popped opened around the chamber and sucked the flakes in before closing, giving the appearance once more of a featureless wall. A large black form plummeted down for one of the larger hanging tubes, and a modified beringel landed with a slam on the steel floor. Larger than its kin, the beringel slammed its fists on the floor as its spiked knuckles took out vicious gouges in the metal with a roar.

The beowolves circled as the beringel challenged the smaller being that had been killing all those that approached. This black being appeared as one of their kin, with its white and red bone plates, blazing golden eyes, and predatorial aura given off by all Grimm. However, something within the creature was different. Something that made it obvious this creature was their ancient enemy despite all evidence to the contrary. This feeling was only compounded by the gluttonous slaughter it had been inflicting upon them.

“To fully understand the limits of this new strain,” Merlot’s voice echoed from hidden speakers in the chamber. “We must add as few variables as possible. Having you test your new speed, strength, and stamina without the use of your weapons will yield more concrete data on your new limitations.”

Adam shook his head at the doctor’s words as he walked the short distance to the beringel. Another roar reverberated from the beast as it plunged its fist down toward the Faunus. Gliding slightly to the side, Adam vaulted over the arm and delivered a vicious kick to the creature’s face. A massive CRACK filled the room as the beringel’s head snapped to the side, lulling limply as the body dropped. Adam finished his vault before immediately impaling both his hands into the chest of a beowolf that had attempted to strike him while occupied with the other Grimm. Adam lifted the Grimm from the ground before tearing it in two, throwing the lower half at one of the circling beowolves while using the top half to beat aside another that leaped at him from the side. He tossed the upper chunk aside and leapt upon the now downed Grimm, beating its bony maw till all that remained was black muck littered with bone fragments.

Merlot sat back in the safety of the control room as the scene unfolded. It was amazing the strides he had made to the grimmace in the few months since taking Adam in. Longer lasting, greater bodily enhancements, and this new Grimm form Adam was displaying. Incredible! If development continued at this rate, it wouldn’t be long before he could distill a permanent serum. Maybe then…

“And what then?”

The question ringed clear as a bell in his mind. That entity… Whatever Lethe was, it did bring up an important question. So long now had Merlot been focused on making the serum, he had forgotten that was only one part of the solution. Just perfecting the formula wasn’t going to be enough to bring peace to Remnant. No. He needed to sort this puzzle out. He needed a plan. The path that led him to his journey’s final destination. However, he didn’t have to do so alone anymore.

“Adam,” Merlot began as the Faunus ripped the head from a creeper and shoved it into a ursa’s chest. An impressive feat for something so bulky. “I would like to speak to you about something. Once you have finished up the test, come meet me in the control room.”

Adam did not reply. Instead, he launched off the ursa into the air and knocked down a ravager that had swooped in from the tubes. The Grimm screeched as it fell with Adam landing atop it with a slam, having pushed himself off the ceiling to accelerate his descent.

The chamber fell silent as only Adam remained surrounded by the rising dust of the fallen Grimm. Suddenly, a new creature Adam didn’t recognize landed nimbly on the metal floor and dashed toward Adam so fast the Faunus barely had time to react. He thrust his arm out toward the Grimm, but the creature leaped high over Adam, kicking out toward his head as it rose in the air. Adam’s upper body went horizontal, the claws swiping just over his black flesh. Rolling away, Adam finally got a good look at the Grimm.

The Grimm landed on all fours, its powerful hind legs digging their claws into the steel. Its large body stayed low to the ground as it prepared to once more charge its opponent, its short tail raised in anticipation. The sparse white plates on its back trailed off on to its wide arms that ended in three red-clawed digits. The white face plate rose up to end in four horns decorated with red splotches. Its narrow eyes became trails of light as it sped toward Adam once again.

Adam crossed his arms as it barreled into him, the horns jabbing into his flesh as it ferociously twisted to the side. Adam careened away into the wall, back shooting with pain. Not letting up, the Grimm pounced forward, covering the new distance in a single bound, and slashed its right claws into the staggered Faunus. Unable to evade, Adam took the blow across his chest.

Ignoring the pain, Adam used the opportunity to his advantage. Grabbing the beast’s right arm as it flew past, he imbedded his own claws into the Grimm’s flesh. Yanking the arm back, Adam pulled the Grimm in closer. Before he could capitalize on this, the Grimm reared it lower body from the ground and drove its mighty legs into Adam’s chest.

A gargantuan pain flared through Adam as he felt as though every rib he had and even some he didn’t were instantly turned to dust. The slashes and blows from the other Grimm had barely damaged him, and even this creature’s slash from moments ago had been nothing, healing quickly from the grimmace flowing through him. This kick, however, was as though two trains had shrunken down to foot size, then went directly into his chest at 100 miles per hour. Every part of him wanted to collapse in a writhing heap. He wanted to fade back into unconsciousness and distance himself from the pain.

But he refused. He’d done enough of that for a lifetime.

Throwing the unbearable pain on the flames of his anger, he tightened his grip on the Grimm’s arm till it crumbled under the inescapable force. He then lashed out his other hand to grab its still outstretched left leg. He towed the leg close to keep the Grimm off balance and then mercilessly drove his knee upward. A booming SNAP!!! filled the room only to be followed by the agonizing wail of the creature. Releasing the irregularly bending leg, Adam grabbed its right arm with both hands and kicked off the Grimm as it had done to him.

The arm tore away from its owner, causing another anguished shriek to escape the beast. Adam whipped the arm into the Grimm, releasing it drop to the floor after contact. The Grimm’s lowered form allowed Adam to latch on to the larger of its two right horns with his left hand as he drove his right into the white bone mask. The horn snapped from the beast’s skull, but before an additional sound could follow, Adam plowed the sharp end of the horn into the side of its head. Not yet satisfied, Adam spun in a circle on his left foot and bashed his right heel into the exposed blunt end of the horn. The horn disappeared into the creature’s head before rocketing out the other side, impaling itself in the wall.

The Grimm fell to the ground, its eyes black as it began to flake away. Adam tried to inhale fresh air but found it extremely difficult to breathe. He slumped against the wall as the angry flames inside dimmed, and the pain continued to grow, smothering the fire even faster under its mass.

Adam wasn’t sure how long he sat there, unable to move or think. Unable to process anything but the world of agony he found himself in. As time wore on, the pain lessened more and more until he could finally begin thinking clearly. As his mental faculties returned, so did his memory of Merlot’s request. Forcing himself up, he tried to ignore the pain rising within him. The grimmace would take care of it eventually. He began trudging toward the door he hadn’t seen open earlier when he dispatched the Grimm and made his way to the control room.

* * *

Merlot watched Adam’s progress to the control room. He had to admit, the Faunus was nothing if not enduring. While he knew the gunrai would do a good deal of damage to the faunus, that blow to the chest had been something altogether unexpected, almost as much as Adam’s actions following the attack.

In any other case, a hit like that should have been fatal, but the new grimmace did more than just enhance its host’s senses and strength. The regenerative properties he had discovered it possessed were fascinating. Any significant wound was enveloped by the grimmace until the body itself could heal the wound, acting as a replacement for whatever was lost. Merlot postulated that after the kick, Adam’s grimmace had formed itself into new ribs for the faunus, allowing him to move as though nothing had happened. Adam’s collapse after the battle obviously showed that, despite his continued action, the grimmace didn’t nullify the pain. Even so, Merlot again had proven the great potential of his creation if he could complete it. Maybe it could even bring back limbs! What a wonderful thought.

Adam finally arrived in the room standing on his own once more. No longer needing to lean on the walls as he had most of his journey, but still moving slowly as to not agitate his wounds. His body was still that of a Grimm, which was to be expected. Testing had proven wounds healed faster when in the form.

Merlot rotated in his chair and was pleased to see he was recovering so fast, idly wondering if the grimmace would last long enough to repair all the damage before Adam needed another dose.

“Why is it,” Adam asked with a grunt. Obviously, it was still hard to speak through the pain. “That we need to talk? I thought we would move on to sense testing next.”

“That can wait for a bit,” Merlot replied with a wave of his hand. “And besides, we both know you need to recover first.”

Adam did not reply to this comment. Instead, he walked over and placed himself in the seat next to the doctor.

“Well,” Merlot began. “I was hoping we could have a conversation on the possibilities we now have open before us.”

“Such as?” asked Adam as he rested his arms on his chair’s.

“The advancements we’ve been making are coming much faster than I could have hoped. I believe that if we were to continue like this, we could have a perfected formula in ten years.”

Merlot carefully watched the Faunus’ expression as he spoke. As usual, his face remained the stone-cold mask of neutrality he wore in most exchanges, enhanced by the fact it was mostly a black shroud at the moment. Merlot was fully aware that despite his cooperation and willingness to assist in the experiments, Adam didn’t trust him. Understandable, considering all his past dealings with humans. There was an unspoken animosity he bore toward Merlot. Not for anything he had done personally, but the mere fact of his birth. Rather ironic, in a way. Knowing this, Merlot had been extending olive branches whenever he could to help bridge the gap Adam had so thoroughly dug to forge something more than superficial comradery. Such was the case now.

“However, there is a rather important issue we face in light of this forthcoming achievement.”

Silence filled the room as Merlot waited to see if the Faunus would engage him further. This was a conversation, after all, and that meant he shouldn’t just be monologuing to a statue.

While he did not speak, Adam nodded for Merlot to continue. This was fairly normal for him, so Merlot obliged.

“We are lacking in the resources required to perform any operations to distribute the grimmace to the general populace, and that includes manpower. Though my advanced Grimm have much higher intelligence and problem-solving capabilities, they still require constant human input to perform any complex tasks. And more than that, we need backing from a large enough group to prove the benefits of the serum, hopefully easing the transition into their new forms. This is also likely to accelerate my research immensely.”

“Then what would you have us do?” Adam asked, interlocking his hands in front of him.

Finally.

“I was hoping we could discuss this problem together. After all, this is as much your goal as it is mine.”

The room muted once again as they each pondered the question Merlot had laid down. Merlot had already thought of an answer that could work, especially with Adam back in the realm of the living. However, this was a partnership, so he wanted Adam’s opinion. Besides, he wanted Adam to say it. Making him come to the decision himself will further ingrain him in the plan and prove to Merlot his perception of their current relationship.

Merlot could see that Adam was mulling over an idea but neither of them voiced any suggestions. The silence dragged on for several seconds before being broken. Not by a word, but a loud blaring from the facility.

Merlot swiveled his chair to face the console and immediately began searching for the cause of the interruption. The many screens flashed to life, showing feeds across the compound. Knowing the logical areas to be breached in such a situation, he glanced at his three possibilities.

As he did so, Adam jolted up from his chair. The sudden action contrasting the calm focus of his face. Not asking what had happened, he instead asked the more relevant question.

“Who found us?”

Merlot found the south hanger was untouched. The large rocky walls and massive doors bore no sign of the damage that would indicate an assault. He sent out a signal to the nearest poltergeist, not bothering to check which it was. It was possible they would have to abandon the facility, so having an escape plan in place was paramount.

Next, he checked to two entrances. One was a large garage on the northern side where land transports used to bring supplies before Merlot Industries went under. The massive steel doors remained closed and unmarred. This fact alone was almost enough for Merlot to discount their intruder as the military. If they had found this facility, chances are they would have gotten hold of the schematic and seen the garage as the perfect entrance for a large-scale assault so long as they could get the doors open.

That only left the western entrance. Serving as an emergency exit in case their specimens got loose, or some other horrid accident occurred, the door was a reinforced dust-infused steel door that required an employee I.D. to open. Merlot found it dented and battered into the wall. A wall, he would add, that was also made of the same alloy. The door bore no scorch marks, nor was there any evidence the repeated bashing of a battering ram. This, along with the outside cams that had just come online showing no waiting army, still left his options on who it could be open.

But who was he kidding?

“Third times the charm, I guess,” Merlot said with a small smile.

Adam, who had been watching the screens as well, saw a figure walking through one of the many hallways of the complex. The figure’s black hair and blue jacket were most certainly not military issue, nor were the two blades they wore at their side. But the figure’s most eye-catching feature was the somewhat familiar mask it wore.

Covering the entirety of its face, the white mask bore only two narrow slits for vision and intricate red lines that intertwined and wove their way across its surface to its top edges, narrowing out into two small horns. A Grimm mask, but not one he recognized. Could this invader be a Faunus? A former White Fang? Merlot’s vague statement gave off the feeling that he knew the intruder, but Adam found himself left in the dark. Something he would not abide.

“Who are they?”

“That,” Merlot replied without taking his eyes away from the screen. “Is Mr. Grimm. Or at least, that’s what he told me. He’s actually the progenitor of this endeavor.”

Now, Merlot turned to face him, and Adam’s shadowy face frowned deeply at the wide grin the doctor had across his face.

“In a way, he’s the reason you’re still alive.”

Adam gave the doctor an icy glare before shifting his gaze back to the screens. Abruptly, Adam turned and began walking out the room.

“You can’t beat him.”

Adam’s eyes dug back over his shoulder into the offending human. Merlot’s grin had vanished, and a look of calm seriousness graced his face for the first time since they met.

“Not in your current state. You still haven’t fully healed, nor are we sure how much longer this dose of grimmace will last. I’ve spent too much time on you to let you just throw it all away like this.”

The men stared each other down as the alarm continued to wail, neither flinching nor backing down from the silent duel. Finally, Adam spoke.

“Where’s my weapon?”

His icy voice was filled with a commanding authority that left no room for argument. Merlot sighed solemnly as he had already known Adam’s mind would not be changed. At least he tried.

“In my office.”

Merlot didn’t need to say more than that. Adam knew the facility almost as well as Merlot and had spent many a day going to Merlot’s office to discuss their daily schedule.

After Adam brusquely walked out of the control room and down the hall, Merlot turned back to face the monitors. Whatever the outcome of today, Merlot would certainly be getting invaluable data.

“Now then,” Merlot mused to himself, hoping to take his mind off his partner’s decision. “Let’s see how much you’ve changed since last time.”

* * *

Grimm flooded the hallways, seeking out the intruders on their master’s domain. Beowolves, boarbatusks, ursa, and many other beasts rushed franticly through the facility, smelling at every turn to narrow down their foe’s location. Strangely, there was no foreign sent to be found. Metal, dust, the Master, the Outsider, and Grimm. Nothing unusual nor threatening to be found. Even so, the alarm signaled danger. Until the Master told them otherwise, they would search.

The Alpha burst into a large room and screeched to a halt ten paces in. It angled its snout up, inhaling deeply the scents wafting across the air. Again, nothing unknown reached his nose. With a huff of annoyance, the Alpha surveyed the room.

A large, empty room that faintly smelled of the prey that once inhabited the facility. The room had two double-door entrances that face opposite each other on the longer sides. A small passage on the side lead to a room full of many objects the Alpha didn’t bother to understand. If it had nothing to do with its mission, it meant nothing.

The room slowly filled with other Grimm from either entrance also in search of the enemy. Four of the Alpha’s kin stalked in and gave growls of acknowledgement to their superior. A brute bounded in behind the Alpha and gave a derisive snort as it passed by. The Alpha paid it no mind. Despite its dismissive demeanor, it would follow the Alpha when the time came. It knew its place. Three tusked ones charged in from the far doors before stopping to shake and tug at the ground as they do. Finally, a smaller figure entered behind the chargers slowly and calmly. It approached the scroungers on its back legs and moved between them without hurry. The Alpha prepared to continue its search before something stopped it.

The Grimm that had just entered. It had placed itself in the center of the room. Its gaze fell directly on the Alpha, exuding an authoritative pressure.

The Alpha examined the creature more closely. It was unlike any Grimm it had encountered. Its skin was not entirely black, for its top half bore blue and pure white untouched by red. And though its head was like that of a Grimm’s, its eye bore not the glow the others around it. Despite all this evidence to the contrary, the Alpha knew instinctively that this being was a Grimm. The Outsider the Master had brought to them had gained their appearance, but it could never hope to be one of them. This Grimm, however, had all the markings of prey, but was undoubtably a Grimm.

The unusual Grimm began approaching as the others went silent. Even the brute remained motionless as the odd creature made its way to the Alpha. It understood what this was. A challenge. This Grimm half its size was challenging its authority? The Alpha was confused, but then it felt it.

Some force invisible force began encroaching on the Alpha. Primal and overbearing. Its instincts screamed at it. This Grimm, whatever it was, was something else. Something greater than a mere Alpha.

It lowered itself to the smaller Grimm’s height without thought and watched as it stopped before its muzzle. The Grimm reached out its right limb and placed it digits upon the Alpha’s snout, tightening them upon contact. Its gold eyes stared directly in the Alphas blazing torches as it pulled a gleaming piece of metal from its side. Neither releasing the grip nor breaking the gaze, the Grimm drew the metal up over the Alpha’s neck. All movement ceased as the limb froze above the Alpha. The Alpha stared deeply into the Grimm’s eyes and found itself reflected in the whites a Grimm was not supposed to have. What was this…

The metal flashed down through the Alpha’s neck, only to be quickly replaced at the Grimm’s side. The surrounding Grimm watched as the new authority gently placed the Alpha’s severed head before the fallen body, both of which were already evaporating. The Grimm then let its eyes drag along those beneath it and left through the entrance the Alpha had come.

* * *

Fascinating! He had never done that before!

In the two times they met face to face, as well as Merlot’s observations when he attacked Merlot’s other facilities, Mr. Grimm would slip past the Grimm guarding it till he found the reactor and cause a chain reaction. Otherwise, he would simply slaughter the beasts as he went, the Grimm only reacting after he had made the first attack. To instead chose to dominate the Grimm now was unusual for someone that either refused to acknowledge or kill all the Grimm he could. What could this mean?

Merlot’s excitement peaked as the possibilities swirled about his mind. Was this something he learned to do or could something have happened to facilitate the change? Or perhaps his perception of Grimm themselves made him take a new approach. The thought of solving such a quandary had him practically bubbling in anticipation.

Merlot continued to observe with renewed fervor as Mr. Grimm calmly made his way through the halls. He would occasionally pull out a folded paper and glance at it, but never stopped for long. Grimm flooded past him, unaware that the danger they sought was closer than imagined.

Merlot also kept a close eye on the intruder’s approaching obstacle. Adam was making his way toward his prey with predatorial quickness. Merlot could already see where they would meet, and it was likely Adam did as well. It was even more likely Adam had planned out the battleground from watching Mr. Grimm’s pathway through the complex. It would have surprised Merlot if he was not privy to Adam’s past.

Merlot watched with bated breath as the confrontation eked closer to its start.

“I’m not sure who I’m rooting for anymore,” He said aloud with joyous laugh.

* * *

Adam arrived at the lab sooner than he expected. In as much that he expected himself to arrive close to when the enemy would. However, this was not an unfortunate occurrence. It gave him time to find what he needed.

This large room was once the main laboratory of the facility with researchers always conglomerating here for the majority of their experiments. As such, space and accessibility were needed. The three doors leading into the room surrounded five tables taking up the center. The tables formed a shape similar to a pentagon, save for the awkward angles caused by clumsy Grimm wandering through the room. Laden with scientific implements Adam did not even attempt to identify, he began checking the smaller shelves lining the walls. Vials and beakers full of various unknown substances cluttered the platforms as Adam sought out his target. Merlot loved to use this room despite the other labs littering the complex. Surely…

Adam began frantically searching the shelves. After three shelves and pushing aside two particularly bulky beakers, he found it. Drawing the container from its peers, Adam placed the black concoction on the closest table. Glancing around, he spotted a syringe placed upon a shelf on the other side of the room. Before he could move to retrieve it, the door opposite him opened.

The door casually swung open as the masked figure took three steps into the room, gold irises gliding over Adam’s shadowy form. Adam watched wearily as the man spoke for the first time.

“Merlot,” the man said sardonically. “If you were just going to make humans, there are better ways.”

Not taking his eyes from Adam, the intruder moved to walk around the tables.

“I’m no man.”

Adam’s sharp, distorted words stopped him in his tracks. The masked man looked at the Faunus with surprise evident in his eyes.

“You can speak?”

Adam didn’t dignify the question with a response. Instead, he slowly reached down to retrieve the beaker of grimmace from the table. As he did, Mr. Grimm’s surprise turned to dismay.

“No,” He said, taking a small step back. “He didn’t...”

The words came out a whisper as Adam lifted the glass to eye level, peering into the dark contents.

“What am I saying,” Anger laced the masked man’s words as he spat them out. “Of course he did! The real question is, ‘why did you let him?’ You’ve thrown away your humanity! And for what?”

The man’s words drew a twinge of anger from the Faunus, especially the strange hint of sadness that were woven into the final question.

“For the power to reach my goal,” Adam said resolutely, raising the grimmace high. “And right the wrongs of this world.”

At that, Adam brought the beaker to his lips and drunk deeply the dark fluids within. Mr. Grimm watched in silence as the glass drained, his clenched fists shaking as Adam downed the grimmace.

Power immediately flooded Adam’s senses. He hadn’t been entirely positive this would work, but his risk paid off. He hurled the beaker at the masked figure. The new sensation set off his aim, and it shattered harmlessly on the ajar door, sprinkling shards on the masked figure’s jacket.

Mr. Grimm looked at the scattered remains, still wet with traces of the elixir. The agitated breathing that had accompanied his outburst petered out as he returned his gaze to Adam.

The eye’s gazing out the mask hardened to the point one might believe they had become actual gold. The disdain Adam had heard in the man’s voice when he had called out to Merlot danced along the eye’s surface, intertwined with a grim acceptance. A small sigh emanated from the man before he spoke again.

“I see.”

The man’s words became calm and level as he drew one of the swords on his left hip to his right hand. The long lines running through white sword’s hilt and blade glowed a dim, intermediate red as it moved through the air.

“I don’t know who you were. Even so, I’ll mourn your loss,” he said as he lifted his sword to point the tip at Adam. “By putting down the beast that’s taken your place.”

There was no passion in the words. No ferocious will or excitement. They were said with cold conviction, unmarred by feeling.

And this only served to boil Adam to the core.

Adam launched himself over the tables between them, blasting Wilt out toward the intruder. Spinning on his right heel, Mr. Grimm grabbed the blades hilt before completing the rotation and hurling it back at Adam. Catching the sword mid-air, Adam brought it down on the masked form with all the force he could muster.

The room filled with the sound of clashing metal as their blades met, only to be suddenly quieted as Mr. Grimm pushed Adam back. The Faunus directed his retreat to land on the table right of the intruder. Slashing the furniture beneath him, he sheathed Wilt as he flipped backward and kicked the divided wood as he landed.

The broken pieces flew at Mr. Grimm who slashed the first projectile before twisting on his right foot and kicking aside the second with his left, only to discover Adam had followed behind them. Pulling Blush’s trigger, Wilt flashed out in a diagonal arc at the intruder so fast it became a red blur.

Launching off his foot to leap over the attack, the masked man narrowly dodged the blow before rolling as he hit the ground, rising to his feet just in time to dodge the rifle barrel pointed at his mask.

Ducking down and dashing away as Adam fired two more rounds into the wall attempting to hit him, Mr. Grimm made a small jump and kicked off the wall to send himself careening to the other side of the room over the remaining tables. As he flew, the dim lines of his sword were flooded with red and he slashed it through the air toward Adam twice. Wide arcs of flame spewed from the blade, causing the room to be bathed in orange for the briefest of moments.

Re-sheathing Wilt, Adam slid on his back under the flames through the gap he’d made in the table arrangement. He stood up in time to see Mr. Grimm land on the other side and kick the table in front of him toward Adam.

As the table slid across the steel floor toward him, Adam placed his left hand on top and vaulted over it, leaving it to collide with the opposite table with a hard _THUD_.

Mr. Grimm closed the distance and swept his left fist at Adam’s head. Adam ducked, and Wilt flashed from its sheath. Catching the blade between his own and its hand guard, Mr. Grimm tucked in his left fist and drove it into Adam’s gut.

Pain flared as the Adam hurled backed a few feet as the still healing ribs cried out in protest. Adam stoked his anger with the pain as he quickly blocked three mighty strikes from his foe.

With a roar, Wilt flew through the air faster than he thought possible. Blade sweeping through the air, every swing rang loudly against the walls as Mr. Grimm barely managed to block or parry the sudden onslaught. Two more lightning fast slashes, and Adam surprised his foe by sheathing his sword and head-butting his masked enemy before Wilt flashed back out, hitting center mass of the stunned man with enough force to hurl him into the wall so hard the metal cracked under the force.

Mr. Grimm bounced of the wall back toward the Faunus with a gasping shudder, and Adam delivered a vicious vertical slash to his vulnerable opponent. Wilt tore through the offender’s abdomen and continued upward to cleave into his throat before filling the room with an echoed ringing as it clashed with the intruder’s mask. Whatever held it in place, the mask remained on his face as Adam retracted his blade. Mr. Grimm hung in the air for a moment after the blow before Adam swung Wilt downward, gouging into masked man and driving him back to the ground.

Adam turned away and swung his blade to the side to remove the blood, sheathing it one final time before he noticed something. The blood splattered to his side in a small arc was pure black.

Adam looked back in surprise as the prone figure suddenly began convulsing, jerking around in unnatural motions. Black fluid began flowing over them as their body arched upward, rolling back on its head to slam back to the ground on its face. Black clawed arms braced against the floor, the right hand never releasing the blade as it pushed itself upward.

The black form stood up, its head jerking up to look at the Faunus. No longer was there a white mask, nor any sign of white on him save for the wide sharp toothed grin it now bore. The creature shifted the blade in its clawed right hand to its left as yellow torches were set ablaze where its gold irises once lay.

Suddenly, the atmosphere of the room changed. An overwhelming presence filled his senses, weakening his footing as the black figure from which the aura emanated bore into him with its eyes. The force threatened to bring him to his knees, urging him to surrender to the permeating power that filled ever corner of the room. He almost gave into the feeling before a burning light inside reminded him the reason he sought strength. The light flared up once more as he fed the weak part of him that dared to submit itself to such authority.

Using the flames of his rage, he broke through the crushing power and charged the grinning beast. Adam reached for his semblance, grasping for the power to eliminate all obstacles in his path. The tool with which victory would never truly be out of reach. He tightened his grip on the blade’s hilt and stoked the flames within, channeling them into this one strike.

And nothing happened.

Having already fired Wilt on instinct, the sword lashed out toward his foe. All the power in the launch and strength of his arms. His semblance had failed. To his further shock, the thing’s right claw had flashed out and grasped his blade in an iron grip.

“How fun!”

A monstrous distortion of a voice more akin to a bestial roar escaped the figure. The overwhelming anger and madness of the words compounded by the unmoving demonic smile the creature bore.

The beast jammed its sword into the gut of Adam’s still form before igniting it in his body. As his flesh burned and pain almost blinded him, the grinning devil pulled its left claw back and rammed it into the butt of the exposed hilt with its open palm.

Adam was flung across the room and slammed into the side of the table he had vaulted over earlier. His vision swam as he tried to work through the agony enveloping his body. The heat and smell of burning flesh eroded his senses as he leaned his right hand on the table for support. Then he realized. His right hand was empty.

Gazing at the black figure, Adam saw it examining Wilt in its right claw by tilting it at different angles before its fiery eyes.

“This is a nice blade. Elegant and powerful.”

No longer a roar, the warped voice was still closer to an animalistic growl than anything else.

Suddenly, the creature was before him, lifting him by the neck and pushing him on to the table. Adam found himself sliding up the flaming white blade in his stomach as he was forced on the tabletop. The black beast then flipped Wilt into a reverse grip and plunged it through both Adam’s chest and the table before yanking the white blade out the rest of the way. The flames that had been rolling off the sword had caught the wood of the table, and Adam continued to cook as his arms, sapped of strength, tried futilely to pull the deeply embedded blade from his chest.

Unable to remain conscious, Adam’s vision blackened with the embers of his fury. The last words he heard before fading into darkness were not that of the monster’s distorted growls, but of Mr. Grimm.

“Shame that it’s wielded by a beast.”

* * *

Mr. Grimm watched the slowly burning monster for longer than he thought he would. He just couldn’t understand the reason they threw away their life. However, that didn’t matter. They made the choice to become that thing. They chose to take part Merlot’s twisted experiments. And they chose to die. All that had been left was to make it official. Even so, he wondered what he would’ve done if the creature had begged for mercy. An outcry of fear and regret. Showed the humanity he lost. Could he have killed him?

So, Mr. Grimm watched him for ten seconds and pondered what could have been. But he still had two things left to do, and he couldn’t afford to waste any more time there.

Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out the folded-up facility schematics. He traced his eyes along the path to the main reactor before exiting the lab. After that, only Merlot would be left. He didn’t bother trying to find a camera to address in the hallway. He simply spoke to the air, knowing Merlot would hear it.

“Don’t go anywhere Merlot. I’ll be with you shortly.”

* * *

Merlot watched Mr. Grimm’s journey for the briefest of moments before opening a channel to three of his advanced beowolves.

“Number 223, 154, and 85. I need you to retrieve Mr. Taurus’s body from the main laboratory. Dead or alive, he is a valuable resource. Place him in a transportable preservation tank and bring him to the hangar. A poltergeist will be waiting for you there. Load him in, and then make your way to the control room.”

Disconnecting, the doctor sat back in his chair and contentedly watched as Mr. Grimm weaved his way through the corridors toward the reactor. This would be the first time he did this while Merlot was on location. It begged the question. How long before the facility was destroyed after the core? The cameras always had their power cut when it happened, so there was only one way to find out.

“You know,” he chuckled to himself. “The pursuit of knowledge can be quite a burden.”

* * *

Mr. Grimm stopped three steps away from the massive steel doors barring his entry to the reactor room. He didn’t waste his time, as he had done this before, quickly drawing his blade into his gloved hand and withdrawing the dust cylinder from the hilt. He hadn’t realized how much he had used in that last fight. Only half of the red powder remained, but more than enough for the task.

Slotting it back in, he took the blade in both his hands and brought it level with his shoulder. Summoning the accursed power to envelope his arms, they became shadowy claws around the handle.

Thrusting forward, he buried the blade deep in the metal and twisted the small dial on the handle positioned where his thumb would normally be. The dim red ignited in flames, and the metal began burning orange around the sword. Carefully, he slid the blade upward, slicing through the searing steel as he went. He began tilting the blade to the side, carving out a generous curve as he brought the rapier in a wide circle around the vertical gash he had made. After a full circulation, he retracted and re-sheathed the sword before reeling back and slamming his dark fist in the center of the circle.

Having not cut all the way through, as this was a very thick door, the mighty blow tore the newly thinned steel from the door and propelled it a few feet from the entrance to land on the floor with an echoing _CLANG!_

Just in case, Mr. Grimm withdrew his second blade that glowed a faded blue, having infused it with ice dust. Twisting the dial slightly, the lights took on an icy sheen as he glided it across the edges of the hole, raising a good helping of steam wherever he ran it over the orange metal. He’d learned the hard way what could happen if this step wasn’t taken. His left hand twitched slightly as he recalled the pain.

The shadows fading from his arms, and he ducked through the hole, bringing his eyes up to his target.

Throughout Remnant, there were a number of ways to power cities and buildings on a large scale. The favorite means to do so off the grid was to create your own reactor. This was an effective solution for those who did not want to link up to any traceable power grid, but a difficult one. Mostly because you either need an exorbitant mount of dust crystals or one massive dust crystal to power such a device. Once that was done, they typically came in two flavors. Combustion or electric, with the combustion utilizing the thermal energy created by fire or combustion dust, and the electric merely acting as a conduit directing the dust’s output. The last reason it was so troublesome was that building a reactor didn’t come cheap. The casing alone could cost thousands of lien, not including all the equipment required in monitoring and maintaining such a machine. This tended to make them rare occurrences outside of large businesses.

Didn’t stop Merlot from somehow managing to have one in every one of his facilities. Mr. Grimm didn’t really care how his company made enough money to do so, but he did appreciate how easy it made his job.

He approached the technological monolith, twenty feet of blackened dust alloy with several wires and metallic pipes running across it surface that either linked back into the structure or into the walls and ceiling of the room. Several vents lining the machine whirred constantly, directed upward toward vents that Mr. Grimm always assumed led to the outside as not to turn the chamber into a furnace. Despite this, the room was always the hottest he’d encountered in each facility.

Walking over to a large console off to the side of the reactor, Mr. Grimm accessed the main systems of the machine. It still surprised him that Merlot never bothered to even attempt to encrypt such an important part of the complex. The screen before lit up and showed him that this particular reactor was of the combustion variety, which pleased him. If it had been using electric dust, it was likely he’d need to cause a system overload and pray that the resulting explosion from the reactor would be enough to destroy the compound. If it wasn’t, hopefully something in the facility linked to the reactor would. If neither happened, it was foreseeable that Merlot, while never using the base again, could salvage something important or needed from it. With a combustion reactor, the solution was simple.

Extracting the fire dust powder from his rapier, which now only had one-fifth of its original amount, and pulling a small timed igniter from his jacket pocket, he set the timer to two minutes and placed the igniter in the vial. Then, carefully climbing up the pipes and breaking open a vent, rewarding him with a blast of heat to his mask, he placed the vial on the slanted surface and watched it roll down out of sight into the machine’s innards.

Leaping down, Mr. Grimm walked out and began busying himself with finding Merlot’s location. He dared not trust Merlot’s death to something like the complete fiery destruction of large underground facility full of volatile and combustible materials.

Some things you had to ensure yourself.

* * *

Merlot knew he didn’t have much time.

It was going to take Mr. Grimm far too long to reach him. The reactor might explode before they have a chance to see each other. This was something he could not abide by.

Manipulating the main console, he began shutting down the light fixtures around the corridors. Knowing the fastest path, he let the lights along that line remain active. He had a feeling Mr. Grimm would catch on, and certainly cut off a good portion of the journey.

Sure enough, Mr. Grimm noticed the irregular lighting and began following the pathway. Merlot estimated it would only be a minute or so before he arrived.

Then, Merlot turned to the sound of the door sliding open and saw the three beowolves he had requested earlier. One after another they prowled inside and sat on either side of the doctor, with the slightly larger 154 taking up residence on his left while the others set themselves on the right. Now, all that was left to do was wait.

Luckily, it wasn’t long. His masked companion appeared in the still open doorway and stared at him with resolute eyes. As he entered, Merlot saw his creations visible shrink away from the room’s new occupant. He wasn’t sure what kind of presence his guest was giving off, but whatever it was had a strong grip on Grimm.

“Mr. Grimm,” Merlot said with a warm smile. “How long has it been?”

“Too long,” He said in a level voice as he surveyed the room. The beowolves wilted even further as his gold eyes flitted over them. “And somehow, not long enough.”

“Are you saying you missed me?” Merlot’s dimples deepened beneath his moustache.

The masked man’s eyes froze over.

“You know the answer.”

He did. Even so, Merlot had a deep affection for the man who sought his demise. His devotion to his task and the valor he had seen through his drones that were subsequently destroyed were wonderful traits that he could respect. Yet, the man could not understand his vision. The man only cursed himself for being born with the very thing Merlot worked toward. This only served to further endear his masked counterpart to him, even as he worked against him.

“Three years and you never found me. I understand you were fighting a bigger threat, but I admit, it made me a bit jealous.”

Merlot calmly watched as Mr. Grimm walked toward him, drawing a rapier whose lines shown black.

“I’m here now.”

An instinctual debate writhed within the beowolves. This Grimm may be of a higher standing, but their Master was in danger. Who do they defy?

A second later, they made their choice. 154 charged straight toward the attacker, cutting between him and The Master. 85 leaped off the wall to its right and ricocheted downward from the opposing wall. 223 finished the maneuver going off to the side of the intruder and gliding in for a strike.

Mr. Grimm reacted, grabbing 154 by its outstretched snout and cracking the bone mask with his grip. Belying their size difference, he used the Grimm’s body to batter 85 aside as he descended. Releasing the creature to crash into the wall with 85, Mr. Grimm whirled on 223 and ducked beneath a wide swing from the creature’s claws. Slashing his blade upward, he removed the offending arm before preceding to do the same to the other as the beowolf reeled back in pain. Its growl of wounded fury was cut short as Mr. Grimm slammed the back of his left fist into the beast’s skull, careening it toward the doorway.

The other Grimm had recovered and rushed toward him together. A wave of restraining power washed over them, causing them to stumble in their approach. In one fluid motion, Mr. Grimm turned and impaled 85 in the chest. Continuing the motion, he swept the blade out through its side and once more gripped 154’s adjacent muzzle, slamming it down into the steel floor. As 85 slumped over beside 154 and began to dissolve, Mr. Grimm lifted and plummeted the beowolf’s head into the floor twice more before removing his hand from the fracture remains.

Merlot watched in silent reverence as Mr. Grimm dispatched his creations so effortlessly. This was exactly what he was hoping for. If he just had more time, he could share this miracle with the world. Why couldn’t Mr. Grimm see?

Rising back to his full height, Mr. Grimm covered the last few steps of distance between them and jerked Merlot up by his lab coat.

“This ends now.”

Suddenly, a massive explosion shook the facility, causing Mr. Grimm to drop his quarry as he fought to stay standing. Several smaller explosions began to rock the foundations of the structure as the lights and screens on the large console went dark. Not two seconds pass before the room is lit once more by red lights as emergency power kicked in even as the facility began to destroy itself.

Mr. Grimm ignored the rumbling and shaking, glancing down to find that Merlot had not moved from where he had landed, merely propping himself up using the chair he’d been sitting in moments before for support.

“Not so long as you still live.”

Mr. Grimm was confused for a moment before realizing Merlot was replying to his previous statement. He narrowed his eyes in frustration as he raised his blade over the doctor.

“I know.”

Merlot watched with a smile as 223, having somehow survived the strike and losing both its arms, barreled into and bit down on his unsuspecting foe’s right arm. Seeing his chance, Merlot reached under his console and pressed a button hidden from view. The floor beneath the chair he leaned on gave way, leaving both man and chair to plummet down a chute.

And not a moment too soon. Looking up, Merlot noticed the fissuring ceiling that began crashing down toward the hole. Luckily, the floor closed before the debris could slip through, but still, it was a close call.

At the end of the chute, a creep stood ready with a one-man cart attached behind it at the beginning of a long tunnel. Merlot quickly rose and loaded himself into the cart as more explosions boomed throughout the facility.

As the creep bolted down the tunnel at breakneck speed, Merlot lamented his loss. This facility had down so much for him, lasting far longer than the last two he’d worked in, only to once again be destroyed by Mr. Grimm. But thinking about it, he remembered seeing that Mr. Grimm was using schematics to navigate through the corridors. That would explain how he’d been finding his other research facilities scattered around Remnant. Merlot Industries’ files and corporate information was all seized by the military after the catastrophe at Mountain Glenn. Merlot had a feeling the General pulled some strings to give him that information. Needless to say, he needed somewhere off the records. Since his island was gone, only one deliciously ironic choice remained.

The creep ceased its charge before two large metal doors. A small panel jutted out on Merlot’s right, positioned perfectly so it could be reached without leaving the cart. A few quick button presses later, the doors slid open to reveal the hanger bay.

Red lights bathed the massive alcove and its crumbling walls as Merlot was ferried over to the single transport humming near the open bay doors. Its ramp was wide open and, after the creep came to a stop beside it, Merlot casually extricated himself from the cart and entered the hover ship.

As he sat down opposite a large black cylinder in a metallic casing, the ramp retracted back into the vehicle’s frame, and a door slowly closed over the opening. Merlot felt the slight jostling of liftoff before it smoothed out as they exited the hangar into the cold Atlas air.

Merlot gazed out solemnly at his home for the last 3 years. The massive cave running under Atlas’ great mountains was visibly crumbling as sheets of rock and ice fell over the opening. Merlot knew it wouldn’t be much longer before it was entirely consumed by the elements. Saying a final, silent goodbye, Merlot made his way to the cockpit.

This otherwise normal cockpit bore a white mask with a single yellow eye gazing out from the controls. The poltergeist was one of Merlot’s favorite Grimm. Its versatility and the strange ability to comprehend any apparatus it possessed made it one of the more useful Grimm in his service. Another testament to their superior abilities.

Merlot sat down and quickly imputed the coordinates into the navigation computer. Taking a second to process the information, the poltergeist redirected its flight path.

Satisfied with his work, Merlot moved back to the cabin and sat in for the long flight.

* * *

Merlot found himself in the White Fang throne room and was taken aback. Not only was the room completely restored, with torches burning brightly and banners hung high on the columns, but he had appeared here the moment he entered Adam’s mind.

Merlot made his way toward the throne which Adam patiently sat upon. It peaked Merlot’s interest that throne was the only thing unchanged about the room, its top half still severed off to the side.

Adam rose and descended the stairs to meet the doctor, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him in close to stare daggers into his eyes.

“What did you do to me?”

His voice came out low, malice oozing along every word as watched Merlot’s reaction.

“It took you almost dying,” Merlot said with a shake of his head. “But you finally noticed.”

“No more games!” Adam yelled as he pushed the doctor back. “Just give me a straight answer!”

Merlot took a few irritating moments to straighten out his clothes before speaking.

“It is common knowledge that Grimm are unable to create an aura around themselves. Through our tests, I discovered the grimace has the same effect on Faunus, and most likely human, physiology.”

Merlot spoke on as he walked past Adam and up the stairs to the throne.

“I’m surprised you never noticed in the combat trials that your aura was no longer absorbing damage. It is why the healing capabilities of the grimmace are so important. And, as the semblance is a byproduct of a person’s aura, the removal of one translates to the other.”

Merlot turned to look down at the Faunus who had remained unmoving since the doctor had begun.

“The damage you sustained at the end of the last test should have been proof enough to alert you of this fact, and I warned you that you would fail as you were. Mr. Grimm has had years to learn how to use his abilities. You have had months. It was inevitable.”

Merlot watched his words wash over the Faunus. Adam tried to remain composed, but Merlot could see the slight shaking of his body and clenching of his fists. Merlot knew he was being hard on the Faunus, but this was an important lesson. The leader of the White Fang’s brashness and temper would override his tactical mind when pushed to the edge. He needed to realize that only through controlling those feelings would he be able to succeed.

“And because of your actions,” Merlot continued as he lowered himself into the throne. “We have lost hundreds of Grimm, mainframes of research, and, more importantly, you.”

Adam froze at this last example and turned to face Merlot.

“What?”

It was the first time Merlot had ever heard uncertainty in Adam’s voice. Good. The lesson was getting through.

“Your body has been damaged to the point that it is a miracle your still alive. We currently have you engulfed in grimmace that is working to keep you as such. However, this current grimmace can enhance your body’s ability to heal while replacing what it can. Your body is weakened to the point it is all it can do to keep you alive. In essence, you are a brain in a charred, skeleton jar.”

Merlot watched his words slowly dragged Adam to his knees. Another first happened for Merlot as Adam’s face fell, his head slumping down, blocking Merlot’s view of his eyes.

“It’s over. Again.”

As the defeated words reached Merlot’s ears, the scenery began to change. The world flickered between the frozen plateau and the throne room like a glitched tv, but Merlot wasn’t paying attention.

Something inside Merlot rose up. Something he hadn’t felt in a long time.

“What did you say?”

He watched the motionless Faunus for anything. A reaction. Indignation. Anything other than the self-pitying wallow he tried to throw himself back into.

“Adam Taurus.” he said, his words firm and authoritative as he leaned forward in the throne. “Where is your pride?”

Adam did not raise his head, but Merlot saw the Faunus flinch slightly at his words. He went on.

“Where is the man that lead the Faunus with an iron grip and steely resolve? Where is the man that fought back against the overwhelming odds that life set out for him? Who came from nothing to take back everything life had stolen from him? Where did he go, Adam!?”

Merlots voice rose as he stood from the throne and walked down toward the Faunus, punctuating his words with every step.

“Did he die in the mines? No! When the woman he loved betrayed him? No! When he lost his army? No! When he was thrown off a cliff? No!”

Merlot stopped before the kneeling form of Adam and leaned down toward him, his voice quieting once more.

“So, why is he dying right now before my very eyes?”

Adam brought his eyes up, and Merlot finally got to look at them again. They were scared. Merlot understood why. Adam had finally realized. As he replayed every failure, every shortcoming in his life, he found the only person to blaim was himself. He was afraid of what that meant. Afraid that everything he sought would only crumble in his hands from his own incompetence.

Merlot’s words softened as he rested his hand on the Faunus’s shoulder.

“But he’s not dead yet. You are strong, Adam. You can have whatever you want, so long as you become aware of your faults. This is not the end unless you let it be. So instead, make it a new beginning, and let me help you.”

Adam watched as Merlot stood up and reached out his hand to the Faunus. They stayed there for a long time before Adam took the hand and hauled himself up.

Merlot’s face brightened back to its usual setting, and he once more straitened out his rumpled clothes.

“Now then,” he said, watching Adam working his way back to recovering his composure. As he did so, the room ceased its shifting, coming back into focus as the throne room.

“Right now, you will be unable to continue experimentation. Eventually, I believe we will create a strain strong enough to repair the damage to your body, but, with only me as a subject, that is a few decades off.”

Merlot pretended to look off into the distance in deep thought, waiting to see if Adam would make the suggestion. If he was still unwilling to, Merlot would have to put it upon himself to.

Adam’s eyes seemed to become unfocused for a moment, clearing up after he seemed to hit upon something. He eyed Merlot, and for the third time that day, Merlot experienced a new first. Adam’s eyes showed no animosity, nor suspicion. In fact, Merlot thought he saw respect in his gaze.

“I may actually have an idea.”

Merlot’s smile deepened even further than he previously thought possible.

“Tell me all about it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My editor loves this chapter, and, if the stats are anything to go off of, so did many of my readers. This is Merlot at some of his peak Merlotness. This just exemplifies everything about him. How he treats his enemies, how he perceives those around him, the driving forces behind his actions, and how he uses his charisma to lead and inspire people. We also got some important perspective on why Nova acts the way he does in relation to Merlot, as well as how he perceives the Doctor's creations. All important in the lead up to the finale.


	8. An Overdue Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What do you do when all paths before you lead to dead ends? You look up.

Nova entered Ironwood’s office to find most of his companions already in conversation with the general. Qrow was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn’t a big deal. The huntsman could easily be caught up on details on the way to their destination.

Ironwood glanced in his direction and gave a small nod of greeting. Ruby and Gray followed his eyes to look upon the new arrival. Ruby’s face lit up with a smile while Gray settled for a smirk. Nova gave his friends a small nod as he crossed the room to stand beside them.

The general appeared to have tired over the last two days, no doubt harried by the press and counsel since news of the break-out…well, broke. Nova wondered what he ended up telling them. They couldn’t cover up the fact that it occurred, but they could control the information the public received, at least for the time being. That fact probably only served to drain him further. Media and politics were things Nova was glad to not deal with.

Gray had changed clothes since Nova had last seen him. He now wore a black t-shirt and forest green cargo pants with a pair of black combat boots to finish of the look. His long silver hair had been tied back in a ponytail save for the bangs that hung above his eyes. Nova found the sight a little humorous, as the wolfen ears protruding from his head seemed out of place with the hairstyle. His forearms bore metal bracers with two small protrusions, one on each side of either arm which Nova knew could extend into long blades at a moment’s notice.

Ruby, however, looked the same as when he found her earlier. The only real difference being she no longer wore a pack under her cloak. She probably didn’t see much need in bringing it and risk losing its contents.

“And the coordinator of our little group finally arrives.” Gray said playfully. “Didn’t you leave before me?”

“Unlike you, I had other things to do,” Nova said before turning to Ruby. “Speaking of, where’s Qrow?”

“Winter saw us on the way in,” Ruby replied with a sigh. “You can probably guess the rest.”

Nova shook his head and looked to Ironwood.

“Doesn’t she have important military things to do?”

“Things have been slow as of late,” Ironwood shrugged. “Seems to be her way of blowing off steam. Better she takes it out on Qrow than her subordinates.”

Nova nodded understanding. Those two were like cats and dogs, but he’d seen them fight together. To fight so fluidly together while still arguing over who was in charge spoke to how long they’d known each other. It’s just how they were.

“Setting that aside, was your team able to find our target?”

James frowned and picked a paper from the top of the ever-present pile on his desk.

“No such luck. Whatever modifications Merlot made to his transports; they were invisible to scanners. No emissions, heat trails, or even sightings of the crafts after they left the prison.”

He handed the paper to Nova before continuing.

“Our analysts also discovered that over the last five years, more and more Faunus have been reported missing in small numbers and varying time frames. Not to mention all the technological thefts we were unable to link to any known criminal organizations. Put these together with recent events, and the pieces begin to fall into place.”

“And you didn’t think all the disappearances meant something when they happened?” Ruby asked confusedly.

The general gave the huntress a solemn look.

“Thousands of Remnant’s citizens go missing every year. The Faunus are still the minority of that group. And while some do get kidnapped or murdered, most cases are caused by Grimm. A slight increase in the numbers, especially over a period of years, is the kind of thing to slip past unnoticed.”

Ruby frowned but said nothing in reply. Nova reflected that there was a point when such an idea may have been incredulous to her. Time tended to eat away at such notions.

“In short,” Ironwood finished. “We aren’t going to be of much more help in tracking them down. I’m sorry we couldn’t give you anything.”

Nova brushed the apology away with a wave. The general had tried and failed, but he wasn’t Nova’s only source of information.

“Gray…”

Gray was already shaking his head before Nova could ask the question.

“I may still hear things every now and then, but I’ve been out of the loop for too long. If I had a week, I could probably scrounge something up.”

Gray didn’t say more, but Nova knew what he was thinking. They didn’t have the time.

“I don’t suppose you have some unknown contacts that could help us?” Nova asked the cloaked woman who seemed content to watch the proceedings.

“Oh,” she said, surprised to be called on. “Um, maybe Blake knows something? She’s been dealing with Faunus issues all over Remnant. Maybe she would have idea.”

Ruby seemed to gain more confidence in the idea as she spoke, but Ironwood’s shaking head deflated her.

“We’ve already contacted the Belladonnas. While they are preparing for any backlash once the story breaks, they didn’t have any information that may help our search. It doesn’t help that Karat and her Bandars are becoming bolder in their attacks on Mistral settlements.”

Nova pursed his lips. Regina Karat and her Bandars were a very large and seemingly well-connected group of Faunus that had been terrorizing the Mistrali for the last three years. As of late, they had been striking hard against military transports and outposts, acquiring some very dangerous resources while they were at it. Adding on the White Fang returning after almost a decade of absence would not help matters. 

“So, what’s our next move, chief?” Gray asked his friend.

Nova found both Ruby and Gray watching him expectantly while Ironwood had raised his left hand to his chin in contemplation.

Before anything more could be said, the door opened, and Qrow waltzed in nonchalantly.

“Sorry I’m late,” Qrow apologized as he approached the onlookers. “The Ice Queen was more irritated than usual. Pretty sure I’d still be there if she hadn’t been called away to sign something.”

Well, he was here now. May as well.

“Well, Qrow, we were discussing how to find the White Fang. The rest of us are drawing up blanks. Any ideas?”

Qrow glanced around the room at its other occupants before speaking.

“I’m assuming you checked Merlot Industries’ records?”

The general opened his mouth to answer but Nova spoke first.

“Every facility, corporate resource, and business connection on file has been investigated, listed, or destroyed. Wherever they are, no evidence can be found on record.”

Qrow looked at him curiously. Nova’s personal crusade against Merlot at the beginning of the decade wasn’t something he or Ironwood advertised. Nova using government resources on an unofficial campaign to hunt down a legally dead man was not the sort of thing that would go over well with the council, especially when he was given those resources by the head of the military.

“What about the White Fang? Maybe they’re using one of their old hideouts?”

This time, it was Gray who spoke up.

“Me and Nova worked with the military to discover every White Fang safe house. Anywhere they might use is already documented. With how careful they’ve been in concealing themselves, I doubt they’d be foolish enough to hide in any of those.”

Qrow sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

“Do we have _any_ leads?”

As if on cue, it was Ruby’s turn to reply.

“We know they can turn into Grimm or something like that. Maybe their close to somewhere with a lot of Grimm? Merlot’s pretty obsessed with them.”

Nova perked up at her words. An idea formed in his head, and he realized just how big an idiot he was. It was right in front of him all along.

“Ruby, you’re a genius!”

“I am?”

Ruby began reexamining her words as Nova spoke to Ironwood.

“I think I can get the location. I’ll contact you once I have it. Be ready to move.”

Nova turned and crossed to the door, pulling it open as Gray spoke.

“Where are you going so quickly?”

“Where this all started,” he called over his shoulder.

They watched him disappear from the doorway, and the silence that fell was soon broken by the cloaked huntress.

“Am I the only one who doesn’t know what that means?”

“Nope,” Gray and Qrow chorused in unison.

* * *

“We’re approaching the continent, sir.”

Nova peered out the window to see the approaching shadowy landmass. A mass of clouds rolled over the land, shading the untouched trees and earth in monochrome. Mountains, both distant and near, vanished above the blackened expanse that seemed to consume the sky as they flew above the untamed wilderness. The mountain closest sat a few miles out from the continental edge, one Nova had taken to calling Ahool Peak as it was a favorite for the grimms’ nests.

No blasts of rain or wind one might expect from such bleak weather greeted them as they descended into a clearing among the forest that stretched out before them. Plant life rustled and whipped about as their engines brought them down to rest on the gentle grass.

Nova slid the door open and stepped out once more onto the lush ground of the dark continent, soon joined by Janus. The pilot looked around at the trees that held them in the clearing and gained a puzzled look on his face.

“So, this continent was never settled?”

“Not to my knowledge,” Nova replied as he began checking his blades’ dust supplies, equipping them with lightning and earth dust before pulling out his scroll and checking the clock.

“Whenever this continent was brought up in Remnant history,” Janus continued, his gaze still roaming the tree line. “They always seemed to glaze over it. Apparently, every expedition to explore the continent never returned.”

“Not surprising, considering who once lived here,” Nova said before replacing the scroll in his pocket. “I’ll be back in four hours. If I’m not, tell Ironwood where we went. He’ll know what happened.”

Janus looked at him for a moment before speaking.

“You sure you don’t want me to take you any closer? Quite the trek, there and back.”

“Can’t risk it,” Nova replied with a shake of his head. “When I’m gone, the ship and you will just be sitting ducks for the grimm. At least here, you’ll have to deal with less aerial grimm if you need to make an emergency lift-off.”

“But four hours? We couldn’t even see the Grimmlands from the air, and you’re going there and back in four hours?”

Nova smiled wryly before dashing off into the forest.

“That’s the plan.”

He broke through the tree line and felt the power rush into his legs. Shadows enveloped his flesh, and he sped through forestry with ever increasing velocity. He weaved his way past thick branches and roots that threatened to trip him up. Even if he could keep this up, he knew he still wouldn’t make it to the Grimmlands in time. Luckily, that wasn’t his initial target.

Twenty minutes later, he arrived at the mountain’s base. He gazed up the mountain face and looked for any shapes flying below the clouds. Sure enough, high above him, small winged figures circled the mountain.

Ahools were a rare sight among the inhabitants of Remnant. Typically hunting for prey only in mountainous regions, their interactions with humans tended to be limited to those who were brave or foolish enough to enter their territory. Whichever he was currently was still to be seen.

Nova felt the power creeping up his neck, flowing like water over his skin and into his vocal cords. Inhaling deeply through his nose, he opened his mouth to release a piercing, animalistic shriek that shot through the air and cascaded over the woods, frightening the few inhabiting creatures into hiding.

Three seconds later, and he closed his mouth, ending the sharp noise abruptly. The black coloration fled from his neck as he saw the airborne figure begin to descend toward him at startling speed. The creature grew larger and larger as it dove toward him, making him realize he would need to take a few steps back for it to land and not crush him.

Wind and dust blew past Nova into the trees as the grimm landed with a _WHOOM!_ The ahool’s talons dug small trenches in the dirt as it folded its red wings and planted its arms on the ground. Its hideous visage twitched back and forth as it eyed the grimm that had summoned it, long tail curling its blades around in anticipation.

The ahool could be said to be the ravager’s bigger, stronger cousin. There are some grimm biologists who even believed that ahools were merely the full-grown forms of ravagers. Nova thought they needed to do more research. He’d seen a full grown ahool, and it made beringels look small by comparison. Luckily, this one was merely as big as a beringel, so it was probably somewhere around a year old. This was guessing on his part, as he personally had never studied grimm growth patterns.

As the ahool lowered itself to examine him closer, Nova reached out with his aura.

Since he’d learned what aura was, he knew his was strange. It didn’t heal, nor did it give him any sort of protection. He had once thought the power was his semblance, but it became clear the power was the reason for his unusual aura, not the other way around. His aura was more akin to a sphere of influence flowing out from him, able to be directed and interact with others. However, owing to the power, it was only perceivable by grimm. It had taken him years, but he eventually gained enough control over it to influence grimm with his will. Otherwise, it acted as camouflage, tricking grimm into viewing him as one of their own.

Case in point. The ahool froze a moment, narrowed eyes widening slightly as it felt his aura. Nova approached as it did so, grabbing its lowered neck and hoisting himself on to its back. The grimm jostled for a second in surprise but was stopped as Nova sent a command through the field. The creature’s wings unfolded from its now outstretched arms, launching into the air with a mighty _WHOOSH!_

They rose through the sky with increasing fervor, each great flap bringing them further up the mountain’s face. Breaking from vertical a rise to a horizontal glide so high he could now see the far-off blackened plains he sought as a dot in the distance, they flew toward it so fast the air became a shrieking whistle in his ears. Even at such astonishing speeds, Nova predicted it would still take them around an hour and a half. Time he’d have to be focusing to keep the grimm on course.

These would be some long trips.

* * *

The world had become dyed in red as they flew over the rocky terrain. The light of the sun struggled through the clouds to reflect off the chasms of the Grimmlands, purple crystals cascading rays across the plains. Black pools scattered as far as the eye could see bubbled and writhed as grimm slowly crawled out from the viscous liquid.

The ahool descended and landed heavily among the pools. Nova wasted no time in dismounting from the beast, preceding forward as the grimm rose once more and began the journey back to Ahool Peak.

Nova strolled past the many pools, the grimm wandering around stopping to watch him go by. He had a feeling it was more than simple instinct or interest by this point. In these lands, only one being reigned, and his eyes and ears were everywhere. But Nova would get to him eventually.

He continued his path deeper into the shadowy domain till he came to stand between two massive walls of rock with crystals lining the tops. An especially large pool rippled before him, its surface calm in comparison to those he had passed previously. The pool looked like the kind you’d see a goliath arise from, but consequently wasn’t as well-used as the others. Nova moved around the pool’s circumference to approach a tall purple crystal that had three stone spikes embedded vertically into its body.

Pulling out his rapier of rock dust, lines glowing faintly orange, Nova planted its tip in the ground. Twisting the dial, the lights flared up, and the rock beside him rose in a pillar that came level with his waist. He sheathed the sword and gripped the pillar’s tip, breaking it off with a jerk. Holding the base, he pushed the point of the rock into the crystal just above the last. A harmonic ring echoed from the crystalline surface as the rock became firmly planted into the shining spire.

He then stood there, becoming lost in the dark depths of the pool. Whenever he returned to the Grimmlands, this pool was always his first destination. Tucked away from the others in a quiet alcove, this pool was a reminder that even among the chaos, in the heart of the darkest place on Remnant, there was peace. He hadn’t had enough mental clarity to perceive that when he’d first seen it, but, ever since then, he was drawn here. Here, he was grounded. Thoughtful. Able to forget even as he was surrounded by reminders.

Then, he felt it.

Nova didn’t move, nor show any signs that he sensed their arrival. However, he didn’t need to. The power inside him writhed slightly, as if wishing to come out and view its master, but not so much that he felt bothered by it. He was sure he could contain it this time.

Footsteps sounded behind him, far closer than they should have been unless their creator had simply materialized from nothing, which was probably the case. The footsteps stopped beside him, and from the corner of his eye he saw two purple feet, strange black clouds roiling off them before dissipating in the air a few inches away.

“I had every intention of coming to you,” Nova said to the figure, still not moving his eyes from the pool.

“Even a god can grow bored of waiting.”

The regal, calm voice flowed through the air between them, filling the space with a quiet power that commanded respect. Nova wasn’t sure if he felt it because of the power’s connection, or because he was mortal.

They stood there quietly, though Nova was unsure if the god was doing it for him, or if he simply was waiting for Nova to speak first.

“Umbrus,” Nova said, finally breaking the silence. “I have need of your wisdom.”

An amused chuckle rippled out from the god.

“You still insist on labeling me as though I am so simply defined.”

The god chuckled once more at the slight frown creasing Nova’s face at the remark.

“And ‘God of Darkness’ covers your entirety?”

A pause.

“Fair enough.”

The god had gotten a bit of a bad rap for creating grimm and wishing to destroy all that was created back in the day, but it seems a few millennia alone with only your brother to speak with gives one a new perspective on things. The three times Nova had visited the god, he had been a very amiable host, offering advice and aid in his issues. This may be because the god was affectionate toward one who was so close to a grimm, but Nova preferred to believe he had softened with age.

“I’m sure you’re aware of Dr. Merlot’s actions as of late?”

“I am”

Nova was a little surprised to hear the slight edge in the god’s tone. He’d brought up Merlot to the god before, but he had always responded in the same calm tone, never showing any emotion beyond mild interest.

“Then, you know he needs to be stopped before this goes any further.”

“Were it within my power, I would crush him myself.”

When the gods had returned to Remnant and destroyed Salem, they announced they would no longer directly act in the shaping of the world or its people unless they found justifiable reason. As far as anyone knows, the only thing the gods have imparted since that day is advice.

“It is within mine.”

Nova could feel the gods gaze riling up the power, eager to greet its creator. He clenched his teeth and focused on his breathing. Not again.

“Look upon me, my son.”

Crap.

Nova deliberately took his time turning his head. He mentally walled off the offending power as he laid his eyes on the god.

A large, humanoid form more akin to a writhing shadow then a man stood beside him. Towering almost three feet over him, the god’s featureless face was adorned with segmented horns that arced behind his head and curved up toward the sky. The deep purple of his body seethed with energy, curling off into the air, almost as though the form itself could not contain the power of such a being.

The god kneeled down to be level with Nova, and Nova could feel the god boring into his eyes with his… sockets? The power coursed under his skin, scratching at his defenses.

“You still reject your gift.”

“I never wished to bear it,” Nova forced out evenly as he felt the cracks forming in his mental wall, the power seeping its way through.

“And yet, when I offered to remove it, you refused.”

“I still need it.”

He gritted his teeth so hard it began hurting his jaw. Under the gods gaze, the power convulsed and battered against his mind and body. It took all his focus to keep it contained.

“You reject your gift, and yet you refuse to relinquish it. Why do you require something you never wanted?”

The power clawed and tore at Nova. His will began breaking down as the power cried its defiance of his restraint. It would be free. It had to be free. A force Nova could not defend against pulled at the power like a chain.

Nova couldn’t take the strain anymore. He tore his eyes away from the god and felt the power explode. If he didn’t act quickly, the power would overwhelm him. He didn’t have the time.

Desperately, he whirled on the high rock wall behind them, and channeled all the bursting power into his arm. He drove his fist, engulfed and enlarged by shadow, into the ground with a bestial roar of frustration and release.

The ground splintered out in wide, fracturing cracks from the impact, running out to and up the rock face. Nearby crystals cracked or shattered as the force of the blow reached them, letting out strange discordant whines as they split. And then, halfway crawling up the rock wall, the cracks stopped. A spider web of gaps spread out before him, crystal shards decorating and gleaming on the ground, and relief ebbed into Nova.

“The power to pursue my goal until the end. When It’s finished, I will let go.”

His voice came out far more naturally now, the restraint of the power flowing out of him. Even now, after all these years, he could not hold it back in the god’s presence. The very reason he dreaded seeing the god. He felt humiliated still being unable to control it, though he tried to keep his shame out of his words.

“If you ever wish to reach that goal, you must finally learn to accept yourself.”

The god laid his hand on Nova’s shoulder, and the shadows retreated from his arm, returning once more to a quiet feeling within himself. Nova realized the god had drawn it out intentionally this time. Maybe every time. He bit down a few choice words. He still needed the god’s help.

The god waved his other hand before them, and a globe appeared in the air. Nova watched as the god gently swept his hand across it, causing Remnant to spin slowly around. He stopped it right over Anima and enlarged the image to only show the continent. He then pointed to a small island just off coast of the mainland, sitting in the mouth of the north-eastern gulf across from Lake Matsu.

“You will find what you seek here.”

Nova stared at the unassuming landmass before brushing the god’s hand from his shoulder as respectfully as he could make such an action.

“I suppose that is all you wish from me today?”

Nova almost turned to face the god once more but stopped himself, more from pride than anything else.

“Yes. Thank you.”

Still averting his eyes, Nova moved past the god around the pool to the entrance of the alcove.

“I will be watching.”

The god watched him as he left and mentally sent out a griffon to meet him. He then returned his attention to the large pool from which many of his mighty grimm had been born. He pondered how Nova could have possibly arisen from the pool. Created by neither him nor Merlot, but somehow born with a connection to grimm not even the god understood.

When he had created the grimm, he had finally understood why his brother adored creation. They were something fully his, made by his own hand, even as they sought to destroy all else. Then, to create something that could do both was something… special. Then, he returns after millennium to find a single human who somehow was almost more grimm than man, born from seemingly unassuming parents. He himself felt an almost parental connection to the mortal, as with the grimm so long ago.

And then, he discovers another mortal studying and praising the craftmanship of his creations. Pride had surged through him, the recognition for his hard work a welcome surprise. That pride deflated as he continued to watch the man.

The mortal began twisting and toying with his creations, even managing to somehow sever their connection to him. Then, to add insult to injury, he began to twist his contemptuous amalgamations into the only thing he and his brother created together. All in some attempt to improve upon that which he could not fully understand, as though he was another god equal to them. The arrogance this mortal showed was not something that could go unpunished.

He had discussed it with his brother, but he had said it was not reason enough to take action. The God of Darkness argued this was exactly what had created Salem, and that he knew his brother was as appalled as he was with the mortal’s actions. His brother still spoke against it, saying they should only act against those that forget their place and threaten the gods. Humanity should grow and change by themselves. This included changes that may threaten their existence. Did he not see this was a threat to them?

His brother was correct in some regard, but he remained in too lofty a position over the mortals. The God of Darkness had watched the mortals since they had returned, and it was incredible. What they had managed to do while they were gone was astonishing. His brother was so focused on the whole of the world that he could no longer see the wonders they had created, nor what a loss it would be were they to be wiped away. Like they had already done before.

So, he helped Nova. Perhaps out of favoritism, but also out of a desire to see where humanity would go next. He didn’t want to start over again.

“You are becoming far too kind for your own good.”

With that final thought, he walked forward into the pool and sank into its depths.

* * *

“Ten minutes left.”

Janus put the scroll away and laid back down on roof of the bullhead, crossing his arms behind his head and staring up at the dark grey skyscape. Despite Nova’s words, the last three and a half hours had been dreadfully uneventful. Trees rustled with the wind, and the clouds rolled to and fro. Flying grimm were tiny spots in the distance, never attempting to approach the clearing. A strangely peaceful atmosphere despite the dark surroundings. He idly wondered if Nova would make it back in time. He could wait another ten minutes if need be.

There was a heavy impact behind him on the vehicle’s hull. Janus rolled to the side, pushing himself off the edge of the transport to land on the ground in a crouch. He quickly drew his pistol and leveled it on the transport’s back.

Between the rear fins, the griffon twitched its head to look at him and made a caw of challenge. On its back, a figure reached out its hand and stroked it down the grimm’s head and neck.

Janus watched as Nova dismounted the grimm and patted its side twice. The griffon flicked it wings out and launched back into the air, the push-off inflicting a sizable dent in the hull. Janus released a resigned sigh at the paperwork he’d be filing when he returned to Atlas.

Nova slid down the metal to the ground as Janus stood and holstered his weapon.

“Never seen that before,” Janus mused to the new arrival. “But I wish you had chosen a different landing spot.”

“Wasn’t my call,” Nova replied, already opening the transport’s side to enter.

“Find what you were looking for?” Janus asked as he followed him into the vehicle, closing the door behind them.

“Send a message to Ironwood,” Nova said, settling into a seat. “Tell him to send the others to Wind Path. Send the same message to Oscar at Beacon.”

“Yessir,” Janus acknowledged, moving to the cockpit and taking his place in the pilot’s seat. He quickly opened the communication channels and sent the message to both recipients as they began hovering in the air.

“If you don’t mind my asking,” he called back to his passenger. “What’s it like talking to a god?”

Nova didn’t immediately respond, and that was fine with Janus. While the gods had become well-known since their return, helped along by Oscar’s publishing of the entirety of Ozma’s life and experiences through a series of books, there were only a few who had actually spoken to them. Apparently, there were those who made the trek to the gods’ domains, but it seemed the gods enjoyed their privacy as many travelers had found their territories (mostly the God of Light’s) deserted.

“Easier than you think,” Janus heard him say as he put the coordinates into the navigator. “Harder than you wish.”

Janus raised an eyebrow at the words but didn’t question further. He supposed only Nova needed to understand what he meant.

“We’ll be over Wind Path in five hours. Better get comfortable.”

Janus heard a grunt of ascent from his passenger and decided to take his own advice. It would be night by the time they reached the city, but he assumed Nova had that figured out. After two days of flying across Remnant, he was looking forward to sleeping in a warm bed.

Thoughts of that comfortable future bubbling through his head, he accelerated the engines and blasted them off to Anima.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mentioned this on fanfiction, but I made two versions of this chapter. Each portrays the God of Darkness in different ways, but this one won out in the end. The other one was a more chaotic being who antagonized Nova even as he helped him. For some reason, though, it just didn't feel right, leading to the rewrite. I don't regret making the change, but I kinda wonder what people would've thought of the other one.


	9. Welcome to the Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our final member joins the group, and Merlot's preparations pay off.

Well, things could be worse.

This had to be the crappiest inn Janus had ever seen, but at least it had a private bathroom. Got to look for the positives in life.

The man at the front desk, a large Faunus with tusks curling out of the sides of his mouth, had curtly told them that he only had one single-bed room available. Janus had been ready to go searching for another inn before Nova asked how much it was.

Now they were here. In this small, creaking, cold room with blankets that definitely didn’t look warm enough to stave off the Mistrali night air, and a bed that took up the majority of the space so whoever was sleeping on the floor wouldn’t be able to even twitch without hitting himself on something.

All in all, only slightly worse than boot camp in the Atlas military.

“I’ll take the floor,” Janus volunteered as he grabbed one of the two lumpy pillows on the bed. It was better than nothing.

“Go ahead,” Nova said, walking toward the door. “I’m heading out, so you can sleep wherever.”

“Then what about you?” Janus asked, now feeling slightly awkward holding the pillow.

“I’ve slept a lot over the last two days,” Nova stated as the door creaked open. “Now, it’s your turn.”

Janus watched the door swing closed behind the man and was left wondering for what reason he could be going out so late. Maybe he was contacting someone? Preparing for tomorrow? Hitting up a bar?

Whatever the case, only one thing really mattered to Janus right now. He kicked off his boots, put the pillow back on the bed, and rolled himself up in the far too thin bed linens.

Tomorrow would only wait so long. Had to get all the sleep he could tonight.

* * *

Nova strolled through Wind Path with his eyes constantly roving his surroundings. The lanterns strung back and forth between the buildings lit up the quiet streets, the few still up and about at this time of night dimly illuminated. Not that it mattered much, Nova wasn’t watching them.

Gray had told him a while back that if he ever needed to know what went on in Mistral, he should look for the spider’s web. Gray had a flair for the dramatic, but Nova was inclined to take him at his word.

After almost an hour of aimless wandering through almost maze-like streets, Nova saw it. If he hadn’t been looking for it, he was positive he would have passed it by.

Engraved in the wooden corner of a building sat a web with a spider symmetrically spread out at its center. The lantern light made it almost impossible to see, passersby casting shadows over the frame while it was also almost out of the light’s reach. Any normal person would’ve missed such an obscured marking. It was a good thing Nova cheated.

His eyes dimmed back to their normal shade of gold as he made his way down the alley beside the spider. A few moments later he spotted an unmarked entryway lit up with yellow light from within. A man exited the building being supported by two others, all of which looked sloshed. Nova moved past them and caught the door as it swung back, sliding through into the brightly lit hideaway.

More lanterns cast yellow light over the many tables littering the space, patrons talking and carousing drunkenly all around. The smooth stone floor stretched out to rugged brick walls that jutted out at odd intervals. Opposite the entrance a long bar sat, rows of stools being surveyed by a tall, handsome bartender with a literal wall of booze at his back. Nova made his way over as the bartender was wiping down the bar top where another patron had just left. He offered Nova a smile as tossed the cloth on to his shoulder and motioned for him to sit.

“Haven’t seen your face here before,” the man said as Nova took the empty stool. “Ya new in town?”

“Rolled in two hours ago,” Nova replied as he rested his elbow on the bar.

“I see. Well, pick your poison.”

“Information.”

The man’s smile didn’t dim, but he did raise an eyebrow.

“Deadliest, then.”

The man turned to the lined shelves and pulled off a bottle filled with a deep purple liquid. He pulled a shot glass from below the counter and deftly filled the glass with a flick of his wrist.

“My friend says people here know everything that goes on in Mistral.”

The bartender slid the shot over to Nova before returning the bottle.

“I wouldn’t say everything, but we tend to know a lot more than most.”

The man continued speaking as he pulled a foggy glass out from under the bar and began wiping it with the cloth.

“For example, I don’t know who you are, but that hardly matters, does it?”

Nova grunted assent and picked up the shot glass. He wasn’t much of a drinker. Never really had a taste for alcohol in general. He eyed the glass a moment before speaking.

“This is less about me wanting information as it is wanting you to spread some.”

“I’m sorry, sir,” The bartender said with a shake of his head. “It’s against our policy to spread misinformation. Misinformation leads to dissatisfied customers. Very bad for business.”

“Then it’s a good thing this information’s true,” Nova replied, placing the drink back on the table. “I just need you to put it out that Nova Umber is in town. That’s all.”

Merlot wouldn’t be able to resist. If Nova knew anything, it was that Merlot had eyes and ears all over Remnant. The moment he caught wind that Nova was close, he would completely open his defenses for him. This also ensured that he’d hold off on whatever he’s planning until Nova got there, possibly buying some much-needed time. The only kicker was Merlot definitely planned for this to happen. The downside of fighting a psychotic genius is that despite being crazy he is still a genius.

The bartender put down the now clear glass and pulled out another foggy one. Nova wondered absently if he just had a collection for such occasions.

“Hmmm,” the bartender said with a pensive look on his face. “It’s a bit unorthodox, but as long as the information’s good, I don’t see any problems spreading it around.”

“Then, how much will this set me back?”

The bartender’s smile reasserted itself in a flash.

“Nothing. We only charge for the acquisition of information, not the donation. We’ll get the word out, and the only thing it will cost you is the loss of information. We believe that’s payment enough.”

“I see,” Nova said, parroting the man’s earlier words. “I suppose there’s nothing left to do but wait.”

“You could have your drink while you do so.”

“You can have it,” Nova said as he slipped from the stool. “Not much of a drinker.”

“On the clock,” the bartender hooked a thumb at the large clock on the wall behind the bar. “But I appreciate the gesture.”

With a nod and a smirk, Nova strode back across the room and out of the bar into the night air.

“Well, guess I should head back.”

Nova tried to remember where ‘back’ was, but he had weaved through so much of the city in his search that he wasn’t even positive which direction he came from.

He made his way out of the alley and back on to the empty street before stopping to consider his next move. It’s not like he didn’t have options. It wouldn’t be too difficult to track Janus by scent until he found the inn, found a new inn, or some comfy roof to sleep out the night there. All good options.

His train of thought was derailed when all the lanterns on the streets were suddenly snuffed out. Nova immediately drew Désaccord in a dagger grip, the lines along the blade pulsing a soft yellow.

Just in time. A dark figure shot out from the shadows and slashed a sword toward his neck. His arm flew up, and the blade screeched against his. The collision brought a flash of sparks, and Nova could see a cloaked figure dash past back into the darkness.

Nova called up the power and his eyes blazed as he scanned his surroundings. Shockingly, nothing changed. The shroud of darkness was impenetrable to his enhanced vision. Whatever was causing this wasn’t just as simple as snuffing out the lights.

Again, the figure zipped out of the opaque black, coming at him straight-on this time. Swords clashed as he swung his to meet his foe’s, followed by few strikes lashing out from the attacker. Blocking the first two, Nova side-stepped the third to swing his fist, hoping to use the metal handguard to daze his enemy.

His foe ducked the blow and slashed upward with a blade he hadn’t noticed in their off hand. He arched his upper body back, the blade narrowly missing as he then pushed off his hand to create distance with a backflip.

He landed only to watch the figure fade back into shadow. This was getting nowhere. Rushing into the darkness ran the risk of opening himself to an attack or blocking himself into a corner since he couldn’t see where he was going. However, remaining stationary let his enemy decide the plays, only letting him react. Nova didn’t doubt that he could outlast them, but he had the feeling they were still hiding dangerous tricks up their sleeves. The longer this went on, the more chances he’d have to slip up and get blindsided by whatever ace they had. He had to stack the deck back in his favor.

He unfolded his right sleeve and let the power flow into his right shoulder. His jacket sleeve began filling until a black hand extended out the end. He quickly drew out Sérénité, glowing a dim orange, and readied himself for another assault.

Surprisingly, the next attack wasn’t a blitz, but an unknown projectile came rocketing from the shadows right at his face. His right rapier swung before him and swept the… arrow away?

Before he could pursue that thought, his instincts roared to turn around. He only rotated on his right heel halfway before a sword was being thrust toward his face again. They always go for the face!

He jerked to the side and thrust out Sérénité. The figure knocked the sword aside and swung the other downward, only for Nova to bring his left to catch it.

The figure’s face was as dark as their surroundings under the hood, but he didn’t need to see their face to do what he wanted.

Before they could retreat into the shadows, Nova rammed his head over their locked blades into the hood, the power creeping across his forehead for protection. A satisfying impact greeted his attack and the figure reeled back with a surprised cry of pain. Capitalizing on their staggering, he thrust Sérénité into the ground and rotated the dial. A large circle of earthen pillars shot up around them, trapping them in together. Recovering, the hood flicked side to side as they realized what he had done.

The figure hurled their swords at him. Spinning through the air, they circled around to attack from either side. Nova smacked one aside with Désaccord’s guard and slashed the other one upward with Sérénité as he felt an impact take him in the left shoulder. Not wanting to be caught staggering, he turned Désaccord’s dial and slashed, its yellow light arcing off the blade in a jagged line toward the figure. The figured rolled to evade the lightning, giving Nova the chance to dash forward and jab Sérénité into their crouched form.

In a surprising move, they made to intercept the attack with their left arm. Nova wasn’t sure what that would accomplish. He hadn’t hit them yet, so the only drain on their aura right now would presumably be whatever semblance caused the blackout. Hitting their arm wasn’t going to lessen his attack’s damage to their defenses, so why? The bow that had fired the arrows was still in their right hand, so why not block with that?

He got his answer. There was a sound like glass cracking, and his sword slid completely through the arm. With a jerk, the figure tore Sérénité from his grip and shoved their right hand into his chest. Heat erupted where they touched, and all the little pieces finally clicked together as Nova was thrown backward into his rock wall.

The wall cracked and buckled under the impact, and he became shallowly embedded in the hard stone. He stayed there a moment, sending power to the already aching areas of his body, as the figure lifted their bow and drew an arrow back, aimed squarely at his chest.

“You know, I’d almost think you didn’t appreciate being outside again, what, with you trying to kill your handler,” Nova said as he began extricating himself from the indent.

The figure lowered the bow, and Nova was certain she was smiling in the hollow of the hood.

“What can I say?” Cinder said as she brushed back the hood to reveal short, black, curling locks hanging around a beautiful, delicately featured face, marred by an opaque glass mask covering its left side and old scar tissue forming a short x on the bridge of her nose. The small, sardonic smile and sizzling (not literally) eye conveyed just how ‘apologetic’ she was. “Force of habit.”

The world suddenly lit up once more as the shadows dissipated as suddenly as they had arrived. Nova could finally see his charge clearly since his visit to her prison. The black cloak she wore neatly covered her red prison garb, becoming visible when she brushed it aside to rest her left hand on her hip. Made from the same opaque, nearly black glass as her mask, the arm reflected the lantern light in a miniature light show on the ground. His sword, still stuck in the glass, was pulled free and held idly in her other hand.

“A habit I wish you’d put more effort into breaking,” Nova said as he re-sheathed his sword and took a few steps toward her. “Especially after Salem.”

Cinder raised her eyebrow at that.

“Spend a decade in solitary confinement under watch by one of the most powerful men on Remnant,” she said, but Nova noted the words weren’t so much bitter as irritated. “We’ll see what habits you keep.”

“Fair enough.”

Cinder had never been a very pleasant companion when she’d joined them against Salem. Trying to kill most of the people she now worked with tended to keep exchanges on a razor’s edge. It didn’t help that everyone knew the only reason she’d joined them was she realized there was no way Salem would let her live long after all her failures. However, Nova always suspected it also partially had to do with Emerald and Mercury’s deaths at Hazel’s hands. She’d been pretty adamant about putting him down herself, though Oscar decided it was his job. Then again, he knew as much about her as anyone else, so all that was just speculation on his part.

“I didn’t think you’d be here so early. I was expecting everyone tomorrow morning.”

“It’s been a while since I had the chance to stretch my legs,” she said, sauntering over to him. “I wasn’t going to wait.”

“Doesn’t explain how you got here so quickly.”

“Oscar is full of surprises,” Cinder replied as she walked past him toward the indented wall, returning Sérénité as she did. “With the gods’ return apparently came greater access to other forms of magic. A little preparation, and he sent me through a portal. I’ve been here for hours.”

As Nova took in this information, Cinder placed her right hand in the indent, and the rock began to burn orange. An explosion rang through the night as the wall was blasted apart before her.

“Now, if your done being surprised by my timely arrival,” She said with a smirk. “You can now buy me some new clothes.”

“You couldn’t have just done that when you got the cloak?”

“I don’t have any lien,” she stated as she tugged at the cloak’s edge. “This was left out to dry, but it does look good on me, doesn’t it?”

“Of course,” he said with a sigh, unintentionally answering the question. He was using more lien on this mission than he’d anticipated. Good thing the gain would outweigh the loss.

Cinder glided through the gap and Nova followed quickly after.

“I’ve had my eye on one shop since I got here. Hope you brought enough.”

Though it would be close.

* * *

“Nova!”

Ruby waved as Nova glanced over in surprise. In hindsight, he probably should have set up a meeting place when he sent out the message. He’d just spent the first few hours of the morning wandering around Wind Path trying to find everyone. Thankfully, they had stuck together instead of spreading out. That would have been a nightmare.

“Thank the gods,” Nova said as he walked up to the group. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Ruby’s bright smile and almost childlike giggle immediately made him feel better. Qrow in comparison raised an eyebrow and wore a small smirk as Nova approached.

“You could have just called us on our scrolls if you were having all that trouble,” Gray said, mirroring Qrow’s smirk

Nova had a feeling his face fell at the words because Ruby’s giggles quickly devolved into full laughter. The scroll in his jacket felt a lot heavier all off the sudden. Nova awkwardly cleared his throat.

“Anyway, I’m glad we’re all here.”

“Yep,” Ruby said happily. She then paused for a moment and asked, “Why are we here?”

Again, Nova realized just telling people to come to a port town wasn’t enough information. This was why Gray had handled communications when they worked together.

“Merlot is holed up on an island just off Mistral’s coast. This was the closest large-scale settlement, so I thought we’d have a higher chance of getting transportation.”

“Or,” Qrow interjected. “We could’ve just flown to the island ourselves. Save’ us some time.”

Gray shook his head.

“Merlot probably monitors the sky in case any unforeseen air-traffic passes over. We’d be giving up the element of surprise.”

“It’s cute you think we still have that, Blue,” Qrow said with a chuckle. “Merlot’s the sort to keep his ear to the ground and eye to the sky. I wouldn’t be surprised if he already has a reception waiting for us.”

“I’m counting on it,” Nova said confidently.

“Then what are we waiting for?” Ruby asked excitedly. “Let’s go kick some bad guy butt.”

“Well,” Nova began, glancing around. “I wasn’t searching for you alone, but I don’t have a clue where she…”

Out of nowhere, a figure grabs Ruby from behind and pulls a dagger to her throat. Before anyone else can react, Ruby becomes a twisting mass of petals for the briefest of moments. Then, she appears, not having moved from the spot, but crouched where she was and having drawn Crescent Rose, fully extended, and curved the blade around the attacker’s neck in turn.

Nova took a second to be impressed by the speed and skill she had just displayed. He only could’ve reacted similarly thanks to the power. Even now, he often forgot that under her innocent personality was an experienced huntress. Then, he noticed who the attacker was and let out a sigh of resignation. She really wasn’t kidding earlier.

“Hello, Ruby Rose.”

Ruby looked up at the woman in surprise, and Nova thought he saw her eyes take on a slightly brighter sheen. Cinder must have as well, because he also saw sparks coming off her eyes. Their bodies visibly tensed, both preparing to duke it out right in the middle of the street.

“Both of you, stop!” he said, trying to infuse as much authority as possible into his voice even as he realized that, if they started brawling, there was probably very little he could do about it. The kind of power they could throw around was the whole reason he recruited them, but it also meant their combined power sat a few leagues above anyone in the general vicinity.

Luckily, it seemed they either listened to him or decided to settle it later. Maybe both. Ruby put Crescent Rose away and stepped back from her former enemy.

Cinder’s shopping trip the previous night had reaped an expensive new outfit for her and a large hole for Nova’s wallet. A long-sleeved crimson dress decorated with intricate, golden designs flowed down to her knees, opening on the right to expose her thigh and the black pantyhose running down into heels of dark glass. The deep crimson of the dress darkened into a near black as it reached the top and bottom, making the ends of its sleeves and center a far richer shade in comparison. Covering her left shoulder and falling to the wrist of her glass arm was a brighter cardinal cloak, lined with and covered in more gold patterns. A familiar dark jewel surrounded by an array of blue-hued feathers sat upon her hip directly above the split in her dress. Finishing the ensemble, A gold hoop earring with three small black crystals linked in their own hoops along its curve dangled from her right ear. An outfit that _only_ cost 2,760 lien. More money Nova would never see again.

“We’ve all worked together before,” Nova said, glancing at each of his companions. “We may even work together further down the line. If we could face Salem as a team, we can do the same for a madman playing god.”

He resisted meaningfully lingering his eyes on Ruby and Cinder. Even back then, they’d hated having to work with the other. Still, they did what had to be done. Nova was certain they could do it again.

The group gave each other looks of affirmation, even directing a few toward Cinder. They tolerated months of talking to these same people every day. They could handle one or two days more.

“Good,” Nova said with a nod. “Now then, let’s head down to the port. A vessel should be waiting there for us.”

A look of readiness in their eyes being all the confirmation he needed, they headed off to the port for the boat Nova prayed would be there. And, if his predictions were correct, it would be.

Hopefully.

* * *

The port was about what he expected. A long row of weather-beaten dark, wooden docks lined with ships of various sizes. The smell of sea and salt seeped through the air along with the interspersed conversation between sailors and other folks Nova didn’t attempt to identify. Walkways leading through and out of the port stretched out before them as people bustled around for one reason or another. No matter where you go, ports always stay the same.

“So, where’s our boat?” Gray asked, glancing about as though a sign would direct them.

“Not sure,” Nova replied. “We’ll just have to walk around and hope they find us.”

Gray gave him a skeptical look, but Nova paid him no mind. He began walking alongside the docked boats, scanning his surroundings intently, for any sign of… something. He really should have thought this through. Years of preparation and planning, and he couldn’t even consider that he might be wrong to waste precious time on the off chance that Merlot had heard about his presence here and decided to bring him to the island voluntarily. It made no sense, but despite that, he still felt like it wasn’t wrong to do so.

A few seconds later, he felt his gaze drawn to one vessel in particular, and he knew it was the one. He could sense it. A grimm, or something like it, was there.

It didn’t appear to be anything special. A slightly larger than average speedboat with a pure white hull, six seats, and a single, large Faunus with a horn sprouting from his forehead standing beside it, scanning his own eyes across the docks. The Faunus’ head turned, and their eyes locked for a moment. It was him. Nova was positive the presence was coming from the Faunus. A curious look crossed the Faunus’s face, and he stepped toward them.

Nova stopped where the jetty met the walkway, his companions following his example, as the Faunus approached them.

“Excuse me,” the Faunus asked in a gruff baritone. “But, would you happen to be Mr. Grimm?”

Nova prickled a bit at the question. Such a lame name. Why had he ever gone by that?

“Because you were a teen who thought it made you sound cool and edgy,” a voice inside of his head berated.

“That’s what some people call me,” he said aloud, trying to keep his face passive.

The Faunus looked past him at the others.

“The Doctor said you’d be bringing guests,” the Faunus said, taking out a notepad that looked tiny in his large hands. “But I only have three other names listed.”

Nova smiled at the information. He assumed Merlot would be watching him as much as discretion would allow, so he hoped to slip Cinder past the man. Knowing he had succeeded was welcome information.

“I’m sure Merlot won’t mind one more.”

The Faunus stared steadily at him for a moment. Then, he put the pad away and moved aside for them to proceed toward the boat.

“Still calls you that, huh?” Gray asked as the wood creaked under their steps.

“He doesn’t let much go,” Nova replied with a frown.

The Faunus followed after them, and the team took their seats, Nova claiming the one next to the helm. The Faunus quickly untied the rope docking the boat and tossed it between the seats before sitting at the helm. He turned the key, and the engine purred to life. Just like that, they were blasting across the water, sending up wide cascades of white on either side as the wind whooshed by. Despite appearances, this boat rushed through the water faster than anything Nova had seen. Not saying much, considering most of the boats he’d seen were fishing vessels, but the point still stood.

As they cut through the water, Nova watched the scenery go by, the roar of the engine lulling him into a contemplative state. This was probably going to be the final battle. After all this time, it almost didn’t feel real. He’d built a life, had a family, bought a house, but through it all, Merlot had always been at the back of his mind. The ever-present thought that, eventually, he’d be back. Even his quietest moments were filled with plans to stop the madman, but now, with the goal coming closer by the second, he couldn’t see a world without those thoughts. There was a time before they pervaded every minute of his life, subconsciously or otherwise, but those days seemed so distant they didn’t even matter. When you finally accomplished something that’s buzzed around in the background of every waking moment, what then?

Nova wasn’t sure how much time passed after that. All he knew was that by the time they reached their destination, the sun had just passed the midpoint of the sky.

“Oh. Right.”

Nova pulled out his scroll and checked the time. 2:30. Looks like he was skipping lunch, but maybe they would be finished in time for a late dinner.

Before putting it away, he noticed it had no signal. He’d suspected the island would have something that would disrupt all communication. When Merlot has time to prepare, he tends to cover all bases.

The island loomed over them as the boat’s prow gouged into the shoreline. Thick with trees and flora, the island looked uninhabited. However, the entire thing reeked of grimm. And that’s not an exaggeration. Even before they were close enough to make out the individual trees of the forest, Nova felt the unmistakable presence of grimm on such a large scale, he was surprised he couldn’t see them swarming through the trees.

The Faunus vaulted off the boat’s side and began dragging it further onto the shore. Never mind that it probably was over a thousand pounds with all of them still seated in it. Nova could see his body bulge black muscle as he pulled with a small amount of effort.

Once he brought it a satisfying distance in, everyone left in the boat followed his example of vaulting over the side.

“Follow me. We don’t want to keep the Doctor waiting.”

Without another word, the Faunus turned and began striding toward the tree line.

The group looked at each other for a second before silently trailing after their guide into the forest.

As they made their way through the thick underbrush, Nova made sure to keep a watchful eye on their surroundings. The swaying palm trees and overgrown plants he couldn’t identify were to be expected of an island climate. At least, that’s what film had taught him. But, as he looked closer, things were a bit strange. Fig, pine, and maybe even a weeping willow. Seeing one was strange, but all at once was absurd. Figs tended to grow on the more southern parts of Anima with weeping willows in the west, but pine almost exclusively grew in Sanus. Nova doubted Merlot had taken time to import them from across Remnant. And why couldn’t he find any grimm. His senses blared that grimm were practically on top of them, but not a single black beast was in sight.

“Something’s not right. I mean, more so then we anticipated,” he muttered to himself. He began unfolding his right sleeve before the Faunus came to a stop in front of a rock spire twice his considerable height and at least four times his width.

He pulled out a metallic device and pressed a button on its surface. The rock split open in the middle and Nova could hear metal sliding against metal as the fake rock revealed a long stairway leading down into the earth. The Faunus put the device away and began descending down into the well-lit tunnel.

“Well, no turning back now,” Nova said as his black hand emerged from his jacket sleeve. He turned back to look at his companions.

“No,” Qrow replied. “That was three hours ago. This is when we fight or die.”

“Then let’s give’em hell,” Gray said, stretching out his hand palm down.

“All right!” Ruby cheered, slapping her hand atop his.

Qrow shook his head before joining them while Cinder watched with a bemused grin on her face.

“Let’s finish this,” Nova added, placing his atop the rest. He pushed down before letting Gray swing the hands back up with a “Break!” Nova could see Ruby was containing a few giggles at the absurdity of it all, and he also found a smile on his face.

Turning back to the tunnel, they began the descent into the beast’s lair, unsure of but prepared for whatever may await them.

* * *

“You must be joking.”

After being led through a number of identical steel-grey tunnels, they were suddenly in a wide-open chamber decorated with black, white, and red streamers and balloons. Circular tables dotted the floor, men and woman in White Fang garb talking and eating, with one directly in the center of the configuration conspicuously untaken, bearing five seats. Off to the side, a table lined with different dishes sat, as a line of Faunus slowly moved beside it, filling plates. At the far side of the room, a large wooden stage took up the entirety of the back wall, a forest green curtain spread across its length with a single microphone on a stand standing in the middle of the platform.

After a moment to process what they were seeing, the group acted in different ways. Qrow shrugged before trailing over to the empty table and sitting down. Ruby began to glance around in confusion, clearly bewildered by the spectacle of what was supposed to be an evil scientist’s lair, while Gray began sweeping the area with his eyes, marking exit points and possible first wave attackers for when the party crashed. Nova narrowed his eyes at the showing of pure confidence Merlot had on display. So unworried and assured in his triumph that he wasted time and manpower to orchestrate a party. He wasn’t sure why he expected something else.

“Are you just going to stand there gawking?” Cinder asked as she maneuvered in front of the three. “I don’t think the show will start until we take our seats.”

Before any of them could reply, Cinder crossed over to join Qrow at the table. Nova glanced at Ruby and Gray who gave him unsure looks before the three of them made their way over to the table.

Qrow and Cinder sat next to each other, their backs toward the stage. Ruby claimed the seat to the right of her uncle while Gray grabbed the seat beside the maiden, leaving Nova to take the chair directed at center stage.

They sat silently for two minutes, each occupant watching their surroundings carefully before the world shook. A few shouts of surprise echoed in the hall as cups and plates were rocked out of grips and off tables. The group all jumped from their seats, hands on their weapons, looking for the attack sure to follow. Instead, as the quake died down, the curtains parted slightly, and a tall man in a lab coat appeared.

Merlot calmly walked up to the mic stand and spoke out to the crowd, his voice reverberating off the walls.

“There is no need to be concerned,” he said, a pleasant smile on his face. “An unforeseen disturbance we did not account for. But, putting that aside, how have you all enjoyed yourselves?”

A chorus of appreciation emanated from around the wary group. On guard, but still not drawing their weapons.

“It was wonderful to see everyone’s performances last night. Especially Miss Valus’s surprising singing talent. Not a dry eye in sight,”

Nods and murmurs of agreement flowed through the room.

“And today, we have an even greater showing for you. But before we can get to that…”

Merlot directed his gaze to the group still uncertain of how to react.

“Let’s give a warm welcome to Mr. Grimm and his companions,” Merlot declared, beginning to clap his hands.

Nova and the others slowly began to withdraw their hands from their weapons as applause filled the room, every Faunus’ eyes turned to see the object of their appreciation. As the applause died down, Merlot spoke once more.

“Please take your seats. Our next presenter is ready and waiting for his chance to speak.”

As the White Fang found their seats, so too did Nova’s group retake theirs, still carefully watching the rooms other occupants.

Confirming that everyone was in fact seated, Merlot nodded his head happily.

“Then,” he declared. “I will not take any more of your time. He has asked to introduce himself, so I will bid you farewell.”

As he turned and disappeared behind the curtain, another round of applause followed his exit.

“Are we really doing this?” Gray leaned over and asked quietly of Nova.

“For now,” he replied, still feeling a deep uneasiness about his senses. Even surrounded by Faunus he could tell had taken Merlot’s serum, the overwhelming presence from earlier had only gotten worse. It felt as though it surrounded him on all sides. It was everything he could do to push the feeling to the back of his mind and focus on the task at hand.

These thoughts were silenced along with the rest of the room as the next speaker entered. His short steps from behind the curtain to the stand echoed in the quiet as he captured everyone’s attention.

Nova wasn’t sure who he was, but he reeked of grimm far more than anyone else he’d met so far. His dark clothes and red hair were striking enough Nova was sure he’d seen them somewhere. It was then that his eyes were drawn to the blade that rested at his hip. Now that blade was something he couldn’t forget. He grimaced at the memory, reminded of his lack of restraint. His control was better, but nearly dying again had made him act more sadistic than had been necessary.

While Nova thought over what this could mean and where he had seen the Faunus, Gray had opted to retain a neutral expression, not noticing his fisting clenching so hard it could crystalize dust. Cinder had turned in her seat, resting her right arm on the back and smirking amusedly at the new arrival, while Qrow beside her had shifted to sit on the chair backward, watching the stage through ever so slightly narrowed eyes.

Ruby looked around at the varied reactions of her companions. Raising an eyebrow, she leaned over to her uncle and asked in a hushed tone.

“Who is that?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was obvious Cinder would join the group, but I wouldn't be surprised if some people didn't see it coming. I'll say this about her, though. I really enjoyed designing her outfit. When I was done, it just felt like something she would wear. I also established something I didn't realize would come into play. Nova is bad at making plans. He's a more "in the moment" kinda of guy. Kinda fun contrast when next to Merlot, honestly. This is also where my editor (who isn't a RWBY fan) began started taking a more active role in the writing process, mostly because the characters were now established to the point he understood the actions they took better. He's helped me plan out a lot of different parts of later stories, and a few in this story.


	10. All Together Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Party games ensue, as well as the build-up to the finale.

**Five minutes ago**

All was going according to Merlot’s plan. Veridian wasn’t sure why she was still surprised.

She watched the new arrivals begin their descent into the facility on the security monitors off to her right before turning her attention to the large screen at the front of the control room.

“Status report,” She ordered her subordinates spread around the room, each working at their own console.

“All systems are green,” replied a White Fang with striped, feline ears. “The jammer is fully operational. Radar is picking up no incoming vehicles. The Zaratan is waiting on you, Ma’am”

Veridian nodded and stood from her seat, walking over to the large carved ship’s wheel in the center of the room. She had rolled her eyes at Merlot’s insistence to go with the classical helm design but gripping the handles of the wheel did instill an odd sense of confidence.

“Full speed ahead,” she commanded, a small smile flitting over her face.

The White Fang began flipping switches and hitting buttons, small display alighting across the room. Veridian felt the wheel tug slightly to the right as the main screen began to shift. While not apparent at first, she could see the water begin to rush past as the Zaratan picked up speed.

“Please adjust two points to port,” said a White Fang bearing long rabbit ears.

Veridian quickly adjusted her grip on the wheel and began turning and holding it left for half a second before returning it to its original position.

“At our current rate of acceleration and heading,” the rabbit Faunus added. “We should reach the mainland in about twenty minutes.”

“Excellent.”

It was all coming together. There had been no doubt that Merlot would attempt to deliver on his promise, but Veridian realized that, up until two nights ago, she wasn’t sure he could do it. He brought back Adam. The man so many of them idolized. The one who kept the movement going even after Ghira left. The moment she laid eyes on him she knew they had a chance. Merlot did it. Like a miracle worker, he brought the White Fang back to life. He…

“Commander Vallus!”

Veridian snapped back to reality in time to see the rocky island they were supposed to sail past charging toward them. She swerved the wheel hard to the right, rapid rotations sped along by desperation.

The view shifted as the Grimm changed direction. Their momentum almost proved too much for the Zaratan to redirect all at once. Instead of a head-on collision, the Grimm skidded by the island, skidding its side on it for a five whole seconds.

The room shook, and Veridian had to brace herself tightly on the wheel to keep standing. Then the shaking stopped. Veridian began setting the wheel to its original orientation as she called out to the others.

“Report!”

“Readings show only superficial damage the facility,” called the stripe-eared Faunus. “No important systems seem to have been affected.”

“And the hangar?”

Silence followed until a scaled Faunus piped up.

“Air buses are intact.”

Thank the gods. What was she doing? This was the most important day of her life, and she almost ruined it by spacing out. This wasn’t like her.

Her radio chimed and she slipped it from her belt.

“This is Vallus.”

“One would believe you have never driven a monolithic turtle before, Ms. Vallus.”

Veridian was lucky she was wearing her mask. Otherwise, her subordinates may have seen her face redden.

“Doctor, everything’s fine. A small issue with navigation. Nothing more.”

“I see,” he said with the tone that told her he somehow knew exactly what happened. “Well, please do try to keep it down. Adam is about to make his debut, so I shall come to you as soon as I introduce him.”

“Sir,” she said, trying to sound confident. “There’s really no need.”

“Trust me, Ms. Vallus,” he said placatingly. “You have nothing to fear. All is going according to my design.”

Before she could reply, radio stopped receiving. She briefly stared at it before replacing it on her belt. She scowled at the helm, not feeling quite so confident anymore, and pushed all other thoughts away to focus on steering.

No more mistakes. Not today. She would make him proud.

* * *

Adam watched Merlot put the radio back in his pocket. Merlot had stopped them in their tracks to make the call even though they were only fifteen steps away from the backstage entrance. He could have just done it walking.

“I can make my own introduction,” he told the Doctor.

“Then I will warm them up for you,” Merlot said, passing by the Faunus toward the stage.

Adam followed the Doctor, accepting that arguing any further was pointless. When Merlot set his mind to something, there was no diverting him.

Merlot opened the door and held it for Adam with a flourish. Adam stepped on through to face the green cloth wall standing between him and his followers.

“After I address the audience,” Merlot whispered, gently shutting the door. “It will be your time to shine. Do you have a speech prepared?”

Adam looked at the man dully. Merlot only gave a smile in response.

“Of course not. You prefer to speak from the heart. I like that about you.”

Adam gave a grunt of assent. It had annoyed him at first that the Doctor could predict everything he’d do, but he eventually accepted that’s what happens when someone literally gets inside your head.

Merlot nodded to himself before pulling the curtain aside and stepping out onstage.

As Merlot began speaking, Adam to a moment to reflect. A habit he’d picked up while trapped in that pod. It was strange, all the events that had brought him to this point. An obsession that had nearly cost his life, a failed mission which had cost him his purpose, a control that had cost him his love, and an anger, through which everything else transpired. A rage ingrained in his heart since he was a child. When he first came to Menagerie, when Ghira took him in, when he met Blake, he had forgotten it. Then, as the years crawled onward, as the injustices and persecution continued, so did that hate. And it had cost him everything.

Hindsight is always greater than foresight, but Adam had enough sense realize he’d never looked toward the future. From the day he came to Menagerie to the day he plummeted from that cliff, he had always been trapped in those mines, angry, and so very alone.

But that was then, and this is now. He had a second chance. He had support from one he knew he could trust and trusted him in return. He had men and woman that looked to him for answers, and it was time he started giving them.

Merlot brushed past the curtain to a chorus of applause, giving Adam another smile before striding past him out the way they came.

Adam looked out through the small gap between the curtains at the waiting Faunus. The slightest twinge of nerves flitted through his body, but it passed as quickly as it came. It was time.

Adam pulled back the curtain and walked into the light.

* * *

Merlot entered the control room to a White Fang with a reptilian tail declaring “Captain on the bridge!” A smile graced his face. It was the little things.

Vallus turned from the helm to face the Doctor as he approached. Merlot could see she was nervous about why he had come here, but Merlot tried to alleviate such concerns.

“Ms. Vallus, there is no reason to be concerned. I merely wished to view our progress with my own eyes.”

Vallus stared at him momentarily before nodding.

“Of course, sir,” she said, turning her attention back to the helm.

Merlot gave a shake of his head. Of course, today is the day Vallus stopped referring to him by name. He understood. Now was when they would see if her dream lived or died, and not everyone can be as assured in fate as he. Still, it felt odd to have her call him “Sir” after so long referring to him by name.

He stood there, watching their ever-approaching destination draw nearer, when the security monitors on the right side of the room caught his attention.

“Oh,” he said to no one in particular. It was a rather trivial detail, but Merlot was still surprised he hadn’t anticipated this. His smile broadened ever so slightly

“Always the little things.”

* * *

**Three minutes ago**

“My name is Adam Taurus.”

Nova realized why the man was familiar. That was the leader of the White Fang. What’s more, he knew he had killed this man seven years ago. Or, at least, he’d thought. That, or Adam had just been given the weapon by Merlot.

Adam swept his golden eyes across the stunned faces of the White Fang.

“After the failed assault on Haven Academy, I went into hiding for the last eleven years. Our benefactor, Doctor Grigio Merlot, has been aiding me in preparation for our return.”

The crowd murmured in confusion and anger at his words. Nova understood why. They just found out their hero, who many believed died for the sake of their cause, had been hiding, leaving their group disorganized and easy pickings for the authorities.

“That failure opened my eyes to the real issue that brought about our downfall.”

Adam reached into his pocket and brought out something every White Fang recognized. Adam’s mask. The first Grimm mask. The room then filled with gasps as Adam took it in both hands and broke it in half.

“This,” he said, letting the pieces clatter to the stage. “Was meant to be a symbol. To make sure the humans never forgot the ones who fought them. A symbol of the fear they should feel every time we came to reclaim what was ours.”

He stomped his foot down upon one half of the mask, crumpling and breaking the metal further.

“That was its purpose. In the end, all it did was justify their thoughts. To them, we were beasts. Monsters. We wore it like a badge of honor, but they saw it as declaration of truth. And I finally see why.”

He ground the other half under his heel.

“We were meant to be seen! Not as just White Fang, nor as Grimm! We were meant to be seen as Faunus! We are the ones they persecuted and shamed! We are the ones they denied and beat! We are the ones who should be known when we take it all back! Not as a symbol, but as a people!”

The White Fang visibly leaned forward in their seat, awe dancing across their features as Adam became further impassioned in his speech.

“We have a chance to show the world that we are not the dying embers of a lost dream. We are a roaring flame, burning bright and proclaiming that we are here, and we will not be denied! Merlot has given us the power to conquer our enemies and right the wrongs inflicted on the Faunus!”

Adam took Wilt form its sheath and held it high over his head.

“We…are the White Fang!” He proclaimed, his words rippling through the crowd like a physical wave. “We are the cry of the oppressed! We are the fangs of justice! We will rise from the shadows the humans have cast us in, and we! Will! Have! Our! FREEDOOOOM!”

Around the group, the crowd exploded from their seats, a mighty roar booming around the room. Several members cast off their masks, stomping or breaking them as Adam did. The cries soon turned into a chant of, “Adam! Adam! Adam!”

Nova decided enough was enough. By this point, it was obvious he wasn’t stalling Merlot, but instead being stalled himself. Whatever the man had planned, it was happening right now in the background. He’d probably be able to get past the White Fang with them all distracted by how great they thought Adam was. He just had to…

Gray, who up to this point had been staring quietly and intently at Adam, raised his left fist from the table, and slammed it back down. Azure Energy engulfed the fist as it impacted the table, breaking it down in a single blow and causing Ruby, who had been leaning on the table as she watched, to quickly pull back from it. Among the noise, the action may not have been noticed if Gray didn’t then stand up and hurl one half of the table at the stage.

Wilt cleaved through the projectile with ease. Adam sheathed the blade as his attention was directed squarely at the offending group. The White Fang were silenced as Gray began to speak.

“You hypocrite,” Gray said, glaring at Adam with a fire Nova had rarely seen in his friend’s eyes. “Cry of the oppressed? Fangs of justice? You act as though what you do is so noble.”

Gray looked away from Adam to meet the gazes of the other White Fang in the room.

“Whose cries do you hear when the White Fang kill and destroy? What justice is done when men and women on both sides are killed over the ambitions of one?”

He jabs a finger back at Adam.

“You act like you and the White Fang represent all Faunus, but that is something you have no more claim on than I do. After all, it was the Faunus themselves who struck the death blow to the White Fang. Or have you forgotten, Adam?”

The venom in his voice could have come from a king taijitu. Adam’s left hand gripped tighter around Blush, but his words came out calmly.

“The majority of Faunus don’t understand that for change, there must be action. They need someone to show them the way. We can’t just wallow in the dirt while the humans trample upon us.”

“And I suppose that person’s you!” Gray yelled in outrage. “While you tucked yourself away in some corner, out of touch with the world and your people, everyone else moved on. Life for Faunus has never been better! We can do business with others without some ridiculous stigma on our race barring it. Children on either side can play together without judgement in their choice of friends. We can live wherever we want freely, no longer ‘encouraged’ to stay on Menagerie. We are treated as equals by the majority for the first time in centuries.”

“And how long will that last!” Adam yelled back, transfixing Gray with a glare.

“So long as someone doesn’t screw it up! Namely, a narcissistic monster so stuck in the past he can’t see what’s in front of him!”

Gray looked around at the crowd again.

“Even they can…”

It was then he noticed the look on their faces.

He had expected to see a couple different things. Shock at how he had decried Adam’s words, especially as a fellow Faunus who had seen firsthand what he spoke of. Anger at him daring to question the words of their leader. Confusion, their minds comparing this new information to what they’d thought for so long. He saw a minority with these predicted reactions, but most of the crowd shared one thing.

Dismissal. The look of complete dismissal was written on their faces. The look that said, “You just don’t understand, do you?” The look you gave to the guy declaring vehemently that the sky is green while staring up into a cloudless sky. He’s so blatantly wrong that all you do is ignore him.

He felt hand on his shoulder and looked back to find Nova shaking his head. That’s when Gray realized these were the zealots. They were the ones who decided to once more wear the masks, despite what they’d seen in the last decade. All his words were to them like the ramblings of a blind man describing the vivid colors of a Braith Canvas piece.

“It seems you are the one who doesn’t understand,” Adam said simply, casting his eyes across the room. “But you will soon, when the site of our defeat becomes the declaration of our return! Today, Haven Academy will fall!”

“You say that as if we’d let you,” Nova said, moving to place himself in front of his group.

Nova realized he’d been asking for what came next. The floor beneath them suddenly gave way and all of them fell into a dark abyss.

* * *

Merlot lifted his hand from the console and quickly pressed his finger down on the intercom button. Speakers across the facility crackled to life.

“Attention all,” He said in a cheery voice. “Please make your way to the main hangar and prepare for lift-off. If you have trouble finding your assigned air bus, please consult one of your fellow Faunus. If they too are having trouble, declare your number, and a pilot will call you over. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Merlot lifted his finger and turned to face the others in the room.

“That goes for you as well. Put the Zaratan in park and make your way to the hangar.”

The White Fang brushed past his odd phrasing and brought the Zaratan to a halt. They rose from their seats and exited the room, leaving only Veridian and Merlot.

“And what about me, sir?”

Merlot smiled broadly.

“I am glad I no longer am required to ask for your assistance.” He said, turning and striding through the door. “Come. Our job may be the most important of the whole operation.”

Veridian trailed behind the Doctor. She didn’t know what sort of job he had in mind. In fact, she was pretty sure the assault on Mistral was the only thing he’d shared with the rest of the White Fang, so it was curious there was something he had planned for just the two of them.

The Doctor knew what he was doing. So long as she remembered that, everything would work out.

“Ms. Vallus,” Merlot asked as they made their way toward where she remembered his office being, “Have you taken the perfected grimmace yet?”

Veridian did not miss a step, but she felt a shiver run down her back. The grimmace was the culmination of Merlot’s life work and the power they sought to fulfill their dreams. Yet, she herself felt hesitant to partake of the serum, and she couldn’t understand why.

“I haven’t,” she replied simply, unsure if she could explain it further if she tried.

Merlot glanced back at her for a second.

“It matters not,” he said, not slowing his steps. “It is your choice, whether or not you take the serum, but I do hope that once this is over you will be able to tell me why.”

Veridian didn’t reply, but it distressed her that she couldn’t figure out why she couldn’t answer him. The rest of the way was silent as they both thought over what would come next.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

“Neither of you can do anything about this?!”

Gray yelled as he leaped to avoid another bone shattering blow from one of the three hideous black amalgamations that had greeted them in the massive chamber beneath the party room.

The giant monsters were unlike any they had seen. Vaguely humanoid ever-morphing masses, the grimm shifted and formed their limbs, making sharp edges and thick bludgeons to attack their prey. They morphed around attacks and struck with elastic precision.

“I can’t petrify them all the way through for some reason!” Ruby called back, firing Crescent Rose and launching herself into a spin, slicing multiple gouges into a grimm’s outstretched arm that had been attempting to slice through her with an axe-like formation.

“And they won’t listen to my commands!” Nova yelled as he took Sérénité in his right hand and charged Ruby’s grimm, dodging a sweeping limb and stabbing it into its thick body. He twisted Sérénité’s dial, and an orange flash was followed by stone spikes erupting from the grimm’s body, causing it to discordantly screech in pain.

“Well, that sucks!” Gray lamented. Two slightly curved blades extended from each of his bracers, glowing with blue energy that seemed to flicker like flames. “Qrow, mind lending a hand?”

“I gotcha, Blue,” Qrow replied, rushing their target in tandem. The grimm’s entire body erupted black blades that shot toward them. Qrow shifted mid-step, his corvid form easily weaving between the projectiles before turning back to jam Harbinger edge down into its left shoulder, transformed the weapon halfway so it curved inward and pulled him closer. Flipped up to stand on the shoulder, he finished the weapon’s transformation and fired its shotgun, using the reoil to help him scythe the giant grimm’s arm from its body.

Simultaneously, Gray parried the hail of flying blades with his own, gliding past each with swift movements of his arm to send the projectiles off course. Reaching the beast as Qrow began his short climb, Gray swiped upward into the monster’s right limb as it reached to remove the unwelcome huntsman from its shoulder. The blue energy engulfing the blades as they seared into the black flesh. The thing roared in pain and the arm formed into a massive sword, about to swing it down as Qrow finished his maneuver.

The grimm reeled back in pain as its left arm fell to the ground, becoming a black pool that splattered on impact. Qrow leaped from the beast to join Gray on the floor. Together, they bounced back a few paces in case of retaliation.

“This could take a while,” Gray said more to himself than anyone else.

“Look on the bright side,” Qrow said, gesturing to the puddle. “At least we…”

The puddle quivered and flowed along the ground and up the grimm’s body, which convulsed for a moment as the arm reformed.

Gray just looked at Qrow disapprovingly. Qrow shrugged apologetically before charging once again, Gray close behind him.

Meanwhile, Cinder had been left to face the final grimm alone and was doing well despite the arrangement. Being a maiden tended to make such things possible.

The grimm’s right arm, lashing out like a whip, careened toward the maiden. She spun forward, blades of glass slipping through the arm as she went. The grimm stabbed its other arm out in a bid to grab it foe. She lept, short jets of flame launching her higher. Flipping over its arm, she came down on its head, slashing her blades in a X over its bone mask. Shards flew as the beast roared in pain. Cinder let out another jet to allow her to stab her right blade into the flesh beneath the mask. Thrusting her glass arm into its neck, she began searing it from the inside. She grinned in sadistic satisfaction as the monster screamed in agony. Its cries ended as fire exploded out all over its body before disintegrating into especially charred grimm ash.

Ruby spared the maiden a glance as her eyes seemed to overflow with silver light. A bright, nigh instantaneous flash washed over her grimm, its body becoming like grey stone. Even as it already began to crack as the beast worked to escape its prison, Nova dashed forward. He rushed up the arm it had been reaching out to smash the silver-eyed huntress. Midway up the arm, Nova jumped across the monster’s form, slashing Sérénité into its neck, twirling to impale Désaccord into its skull. Black fluid oozed from the wounds, running over the stone covering. Shifting the dial, Désaccord let out a powerful shock that ran through the still form. Kicking off the grimm’s chest, Nova pulled his sword free as Ruby swarmed it as a flurry of petals. The storm split off into five smaller groups, whirling around its limbs and neck in rapid circles, working their way toward the beast’s center. Gashes appeared wherever the petals flowed, running in continuous lines before they converged and met on the grimm’s chest. The five facets became one again and were once more the cloaked woman. Crescent Rose, in rifle form, was aimed directly at the point the lines met. With the sound of gunfire, the monster exploded with a screeching growl, its body collapsing into shreds as the stone fell off in chunks from the point of impact. The shreds began flaking into ash, joining the other dead grimm’s in flying up through the hole they fell through.

Qrow ran toward the final grimm, Harbinger becoming a war scythe and being used to vault him from the ground over its head. Shifting once more, he directed the sword at the grimm, firing the shotgun, and causing him to propel slightly upward as the blast tore into the beast. Twirling in mid-air, Qrow used the extra airtime to once more wield the scythe and drag it down the monster’s back on the way down. As he landed and leapt back from the grimm, it whirled around, fists like hammers, swinging for the huntsman.

Gray spread his arms, leaping at the grimm’s back, and plunging his blades deep into the black flesh. His body ignited in blue light. The light spread and rushed across the beast like wildfire, searing through the screaming monster. Its arms reached back to remove the source of agony, but as the hands drew closer, the energy burned brighter and finally reached the grimm’s fingers. It flailed, whipping back and forth in maddened pain. It slammed its back into the wall, trying to smash its foe into mush. Gray felt his aura taking the force diligently, but it could only take the assault so long. Luckily, Qrow was on top of it. Harbinger curved around the monster’s neck; its edge retracted. He pulled with all his strength, dragging it facedown into the ground. Its strength beginning to fade, the grimm’s struggling lessened until its body flew away as ashes from the blue glow of Gray semblance.

Gray stood, breathing heavily. It had been awhile since he put that much power into his semblance. He retracted his blades and walked with Qrow to where the others had been gathering.

Standing in the middle of the hole, Gray looked up at their only exit.

“So, what’s our plan to get back up there?”

In response, Qrow shifted into… well, a crow, and flew up to the lip of the hole, shifting back as he cleared it and looking down expectantly.

Gray watched in annoyance as Cinder then shot flames from her hands and rocketed up to join Qrow. Ruby gave him an apologetic look as she whirled up the wall of the hole and appeared at the top in a flash of red.

“You know,” Gray said as he glared up at his companions. “I don’t much care for any of you right now.”

He turned to face Nova, and Nova nodded confirmation. Nova closed his eyes in focus, and black, leathery wings thrice his size spread out from his back. Gray sighed as he reached out both hands to him. This was so humiliating.

Nova took his hands and bent his knees slightly, his wings reaching up as they prepared to launch. Before flying upward, Nova caught multiple pale shapes lying in the remnants of one of the grimm. Nova felt his eyes blaze as they careened through the air, Gray being dragged by his arms. After five great flaps, they popped over the hole’s edge and landed beside their companions.

“Well, now that that’s done,” Gray said, undoing and retying his ponytail. “What’s our next move?”

“You heard the announcement,” Nova said, turning to where they’d entered, his wings absorbing back into his body. “They’re heading to the hangar, so we have to get outside.”

They all nodded understanding. By this point, trying to find the hangar would be pointless. Better to make their way outside and see where they’re going than waste any more time here. They ran out of the room, Qrow passing by the buffet table to swipe a buttered roll, and one minute later were once more above ground.

Rushing beyond the canopy of trees, they looked into the sky. They saw a veritable swarm of air buses clouding the sky, all heading toward the mainland. What truly caught their attention, though, was the narwhal that moved across the horizon.

“How’d they hide that?” Ruby exclaimed. “Those things are impossible to miss!”

“Doesn’t matter,” Nova said as he walked over to the boat still grounded on the beach. “We have to get out of range of their disruptor so we can contact Janus.”

The rest quickly followed, all of them noting how close they were to Wind Path now. This island was definitely closer than it was before.

“Damnit,” Nova said as he looked over the side and checked the helm of the boat. “Gray, the key’s gone. Think you can do something ‘bout it?”

“Gimme a few secs,” Gray replied, climbing into the boat and taking the helm.

As everyone else climbed in and took their seats, Nova began pushing the boat into the water. Shadows crawled over his arms as he shoved the vessel in. As it began to float, Nova grabbed the bow and pulled himself in right as the engine rumbled to life.

Taking the seat beside Gray, they were once again skimming across the water. No time for reverie, Nova watched his scroll so the moment he regained a signal, he could call his intrepid pilot. It didn’t take long until the scroll showed it had reception. He immediately contacted Janus.

“Sir,” came the immediate reply when the call went through.

“Janus, I need you to contact Ironwood as soon as we’re done. We’ll be in Wind Path soon, so prepare for take-off. Tell Ironwood the city of Mistral is about to have a lot of unwelcome visitors. I’d guess around three-hundred or so.”

“Yes, sir!”

Nova hung up and watched as Wind Path drew ever closer. Even with the forewarning, they and the Atlas military weren’t going to make it in time to stop their initial assault. He only hoped those already there could hold them off long enough.

He saw the airships soaring into the distance and felt himself asking why. It made sense for the White Fang to attack Mistral, but why was Merlot going along with it? Loss of life was never his goal, only an unfortunate means to reach it. He had something else planned, and Nova had a feeling the narwhal was the crux of it. When they touched down in Mistral, He knew what he needed to do.

The boat slowed as they came into the port. They stooped it along the jetty and didn’t bother tying it as they moved out of the vessel onto the dark wood.

Nova quickly led them through Wind Path, tracking Janus’s scent to find the transport as he forgot where they landed. Rushing past buildings and bystanders as they ran, Nova noticed many of them were also taking notice of the airships passing overhead.

Exiting the city after a few minutes, they entered the woods and found Janus and the transport where they had landed the night before.

“Sir,” Janus said as they approached. “The transport is ready for liftoff. Just give the word.”

“It’s given,” Nova slid the ship’s side open and stepped in. Everyone else followed suit, Janus sitting in the cockpit and the others cramming themselves in the back. Soon they were off, chasing after the White Fang and ready to put an end to this mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adam was never going to have to try hard to get the support of the White Fang back. Though, I honestly was surprised by Gray here. As I wrote it out, it just felt right. I already mentioned previously he was a member of the White Fang, as well as part of the task force that dismantled them. He's also the only Faunus member of the group, meaning he (aside from Nova) had a different perspective on the White Fang's return.  
> I also caused my editor some mild frustration with this fight scene. Definitely less than next chapter's, but he loves to complain about how ridiculous they can get. If only he knew what I'd have them do with animators.


	11. No Blood...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The assault on Mistral begins!

Veridian watched the screens in anticipation as the air buses carrying her comrades began landing in Mistral. Merlot had a giddy look on his face as the White Fang began piling out, grimmace flowing off their forms as they rushed through the streets.

“Yes! Finally, the world will see!”

Merlot began working at the console before him. Veridian watched as the other screens on the narwhal’s bridge lit up. She had no clue what he was doing.

“I am currently gaining access to the Mistral CCT tower,” He said without looking up. She was no longer surprised he could predict her questions. “My drones will fly over Mistral and transmit the images across Remnant. I do not want our grand debut to be confined to the city.”

Veridian hummed thoughtfully as each individual screen showed a different view of the advancing army. Now, almost the entirety of the group was shrouded in black and white. Mistrali soldiers ushered people out of their houses while forming defensive lines, rifles trained on the invaders. They didn’t stand a chance.

The White Fang swept into the defensive line, causing the soldiers to release a volley of blasts at the oncoming wave. The Faunus took the attacks head-on, only a few slowing as the lasers connected. For every Faunus knocked back by a blow, three more took their place. The lines broke as the mass of dark figures crashed into them, uniformed men being swept under or ripped apart as the wave rushed past them.

The plan was that they would make a beeline for Haven Academy, destroying all resistance barring their path. Once there, they would incapacitate and capture the headmaster, Blaine Jackson. Then, Adam would broadcast their triumphant return across Remnant, showing them the Faunus were not afraid to leave the shadows any longer.

And yet, Veridian found the whole thing a bit… shortsighted. What was their plan after this? Did they plan to hold Haven as long as they could? The military would arrive as soon as the word got out. Was Adam planning a retreat? And what of Merlot? Surely, he had a plan. He always had a plan. Trust in him, and everything works out. That’s what she’d been coming to terms with over their time together, but why then did she feel so uncertain about all this?

“Sir?” she asked, drawing the Doctor’s attention away from the screens. “You _do_ have a plan in mind, right?”

Merlot turned to face her, his confident smile merely assuring her of what she’d already known.

“I always have a plan.”

* * *

“You don’t have a plan?”

Nova thought that was a gross misinterpretation of his words.

“What’s wrong with ‘hold them off until the military arrives’?”

“We,” Gray gestured around to their group. “Are five people! They,” he pointed at the swarm of blackened Faunus. “Are something around five-hundred!”

Nova was pretty sure he was wrong about that. Then again, he had no idea how big that facility was or how many may have been on that narwhal. They could see it flying high above them, imposing and ominous, as they hovered above the city in the transport as more air buses landed and unloaded their villainous cargo.

“Why do you think I brought them?” Nova asked, gesturing toward Ruby and Cinder.

“We don’t have time for this,” Ruby interjected. “All that matters is making sure we stop them before they hurt anybody.”

“Let them argue,” Cinder said, rising from her seat and sliding open the transport’s side. Air rushed in and sent her hair and cloak whipping back as she grinned toward the other occupants. “More fun for me.”

Cinder dove out the opening, flames bursting from her hands. She streaked through the sky until she flew over the enemy forces. Swirling up in a loop, she plummeted into the mob, an explosion greeting her landing.

“Girl’s got the right idea,” Qrow said, jumping out the opening as well. A crow swooped up and soared over to the battleground.

“Let’s go!” Ruby exclaimed, following her uncle out. When she dropped from sight, they could hear Crescent Rose firing off below.

Gray and Nova looked at each other, and Nova reached out his hand.

“Nope!” Gray declared, moving to stand in the opening. “I’ll figure it out myself.”

With that, he leaped out the door, plummeting out of view.

“Janus,” Nova said, moving to and putting his hand on the door’s edge. “You think my plan’s good, right?”

“Are you asking me as your escort or as a person?” came the reply.

“Person.”

“You could have thought of a better one.”

Nova sighed as he watched the roiling mass of black make its way to the base of the mountains Haven Academy sat atop.

“I know.”

Nova launched out, wings spreading behind him. He flapped toward the wave, being sure to spare a look toward Gray in case he needed help. The Faunus had impaled his blades into a tall building’s wall and was dragging down it. Luckily, with all the destruction the other White Fang were causing, this probably wouldn’t be attributed to them.

Swathes of fire coursed out in spurts from the Fall Maiden, White Fang burning and falling to the ground only to rise moments later, looking more like grimm every time. Qrow weaved through the wave, sowing destruction like a needle through cloth, disappearing from sight in the black mass before popping up to lob off limbs. Five spirals of red petals streaked around the battle, whirling through attackers and leaving shredded limbs behind. They converged above to form the huntress, white light flashing out over the White Fang and causing many surrounding her to petrify. The cracks already began forming as she whirled out once more.

No matter how many they dismembered or killed, they either regenerated or were replaced by others. More and more of their original forms shed as monsters began taking their place. The tide rushed ever onward despite the best efforts of huntsmen and Mistrali officers alike. Many White Fang had taken to running on all fours, bounding up the sides of buildings and scaling the mountains to reach Haven Academy. Something needed to be done, or Haven would fall before the military arrived.

Nova glided to land beside Gray who was yanking his blades out of the wall.

“I have a plan,” Nova said as Gray turned to face him.

“You don’t say?” Gray asked dryly.

“I’ll admit, I’m bad at planning. I had seven years to prepare, and all I could do was make a list of people. So, you with me?”

“Dumb question.”

“Right,” Nova smirked. “I need you to avoid the battle and get up to Haven. Adam’s probably leading the attack, so there’s a good chance he’ll be there first. The professors and students should be able to distract them long enough for you to kill Adam.”

“And if last time is any indication,” Gray finished. “They’ll be hopeless without him. Seeing their leader dead will send their front runners into a panic.”

“That’s my hope. In the meantime,” he pointed up to the narwhal. “I’m going to fly up there. If I know Merlot, he got himself the best seat to watch his plan unfold.”

“I see how it is. I get the hard job again.”

“You had Penny with you.” Nova waved dismissively.

“It was three paladins!” Gray yelled in exasperation.

“And this time you’ll have Qrow with you,” Nova stated, his wings stretching out to ascend once more.

“You’re leaving Ruby and Cinder to fend for themselves?” Gray asked incredulously.

“Cinder’s holding back,” he said, wings lifting him off the ground. “And Ruby’s trying not to kill anyone. One of those things will change with Qrow out of the picture.”

Nova was pretty sure Cinder believed Ruby could survive anything by this point. Grimm couldn’t kill her. Cinder couldn’t kill her. Not even Salem could put the silver-eyed huntress down. Take Qrow away from the battle, and Cinder won’t give a second thought to tearing through the White Fang with her full power.

Gray shook his head as Nova flew off to tell Qrow of their plan. He looked around and saw an alleyway leading away from the fight. He sprinted toward and down the path, finding an awning he could vault up to bring him atop the buildings.

He sprinted toward the academy, leaping from roof to roof. He noticed White Fang who had the same idea jumping across rooftops. In turn, they saw him, and he realized this could be trouble. He couldn’t afford to waste time fighting White Fang when he was going after their leader.

A blackened monkey Faunus with a tail of segmented blades turned to leap toward him before a crow flying above shifted into the sword wielding huntsman. Harbinger plunged through the Faunus’ head and into its body. He let out a screech before its body dissolved into a black goo that oozed down the building’s roof, leaving only a pale barely recognizable remnant behind.

“Get a move on, Blue,” Qrow said, flinging himself to the next roof.

“Whatever, old man!” he called back, increasing his pace.

“Good grief,” Qrow murmured as he dodged a White Fang that appeared to be a giant salamander. “You have four years on a person, and they act like your sixty.”

Nova watched his friends bound toward Haven, their path running parallel to the advancing horde. Speaking of, the swarm was now slowly shrinking as Cinder went wild. Flame coursed around her in a sphere as a massive sword of glowing glass swept through the crowd. Even from his elevated position, Nova could tell she was grinning ear to ear. Aside from that, the only other difference was that the petal swirls had to make many detours in order to avoid the flying torrents of fire and sword swings. Seemed Nova’s guess was right.

He then turned his attention to the narwhal hanging in the sky. His wings couldn’t grow tired, so he could have them to move at normally unreasonable paces. Even so, it would take at least five minutes to reach it at that altitude. Five minutes where Merlot could enact some unforeseen scheme Nova wouldn’t be able to do anything about.

He was sure Merlot was working some angle not even his subordinates understood. The man loved to keep everyone around him in the dark until the big reveal. Plans within plans, secrets within secrets. Merlot trusted everyone else to act exactly as he ordained, and he was almost never wrong in his predictions. Nova couldn’t even be sure what he was doing now wasn’t already foreseen by the Doctor. Still, even if he was just dancing to Merlot’s rhythm, he had to act. Because eventually, Merlot would find that for all his planning, for all his manipulating and scheming, it all ends with Nova. All of it.

Nova continued his ascent, rising into the blue sky toward what was hopefully his final confrontation with the mad doctor.

* * *

“Let us see. The tank is filled to capacity, the assault on Haven is nigh, and the feed is broadcasting across all channels. Perfectly according to plan.”

“Tank, sir?” Vallus asked.

“Nothing to concern yourself with, Ms. Vallus.” Merlot assured his assistant. “All that matters is what happens when the White Fang reach Haven.”

“What happens? Won’t the White Fang take control of the academy and make a statement of our return?”

“Yes,” Merlot rotated in his seat to face the Faunus. “But you are thinking too small, Ms. Vallus. Eventually, the White Fang will need to retreat from the academy when the military begins arriving. As such, a proper distraction is needed.”

“And, is that what the tanks you mentioned are for?” she asked, trying to put the pieces together.

“Again, too small,” he replied with a playfully chiding smile. “While that is their secondary purpose, my main goal is so much more.”

Merlot understood she was still confused by this, but he didn’t want to give away the surprise. One of life’s simple joys was not knowing what comes next. While that feeling was so rarely felt by him, he wouldn’t dream of depriving his allies of it.

“But that will come later. For now, turn your attention to the main monitor, if you would.”

Veridian looked at the large monitor at the front of the bridge and watched as the White Fang swarmed Haven’s quad. She could barely make out Adam’s red form at the forefront of the group. The perspective began shrinking as whatever drown Merlot was using flew closer to the group, making it possible to pick out the specific details of individuals. It surprised her that Adam didn’t appear different from when he left the Zaratan. Unlike the rest of the White Fang, shifting into bigger, more bestial Grimm forms, Adam was as he always was. Did he just see no need?

“Oh. This is interesting.”

Veridian wondered what Merlot was talking about until she peered at the smaller screen on his desk. Leaping from buildings and quickly approaching Haven were two figures she recognized from the party Merlot put on.

“Those two were at the party with your special guest,” she said, slight worry lacing her words.

“Gray Argent and Qrow Branwen,” Merlot said, interlocking his fingers before his smiling face. “You may not know this, but Mr. Argent was a part of the division that hunted down the White Fang, and Mr. Branwen was one of Ozpin’s most valued agents back when Salem was alive.”

Veridian felt a familiar urge to yell at the Doctor. She quashed that urge immediately. The Doctor knew what he was doing. The Doctor planned for everything. Trust the Doctor, and everything would work out. Still, she had a feeling Merlot keeping information to himself would never stop irritating her.

“If my predictions are correct, we are in for quite the show,” Merlot parted his hands and gave Veridian a sidelong glance. “Pay close attention. We are about to see something incredible.”

* * *

Adam whipped Wilt to the side to splash the blood on the stone walkway. Another huntsman fell before him as his subordinates ravaged their enemies. He re-sheathed Wilt as he wasted no more time sprinting for the main hall. The other White Fang would deal with the annoyances that were scurrying around uselessly in an attempt to prevent the inevitable. He had his sights set on the head of this hypocritical monument.

He burst through the large glass double doors and was nearly decapitated by a boomerang whirling toward his face. He swept aside, the boomerang catching the hairs on the right side of his head, just in time to perform a backflip to avoid a great sword swinging at his legs. Wilt slipped free of its sheath, and, as Adam landed, he fired Blush into the chest of the brute with the greatsword, knocking him back. Ignoring the staggered huntsman, he turned his attention on his ranged foe He sprinted, low to the ground to avoid the returning boomerang, and drove Wilt into the enemy now catching his weapon, forcing the screaming huntsman to the ground with both weapons lodged in his chest. Adam took a second to realize he had overestimated the thrower. They weren’t a huntsman, but a student. It was obvious from the lack of aura and the boomerang now drawing its owner’s lifeblood from his chest.

How disappointing.

Wilt’s hilt drove into the approaching, greatsword-wielding huntsman’s gut as Adam pulled it from the dying student’s body. Knocked off balance by the hit but no worse for wear due to his aura, the man faded into a fog, wafting upward. Adam quickly brought his sword into a high guard, keeping his eyes fixed on the spreading cloud of haze. It formed into the huntsman and pushed off the wall toward the Faunus, greatsword extended. Adam deftly aimed Blush and fired two rounds, as he stepped left and swung Wilt upwards deflecting the huntsman’s full body thrust.

The shock on the huntsman’s face turned to exertion as his aura flickered under the impact of the rounds. He misted once more, blasting into and past Adam like a cool breeze. Adam felt the boomerangs yank from his body and turned to see them spinning in the fog. The mist circled around, greatsword aiming directly at him, and rushed toward him once more. Adam sheathed Wilt and clicked the button on the hilt, igniting the fire dust embedded in the blade. He slashed, the blazing edge sweeping through the fog in a vertical arc.

The greatsword flew past him to embed itself in the wall behind Adam. The haze screamed past Adam, set ablaze by the flames. It reformed into the huntsman, writhing on the ground as fire danced on his clothes and skin. Adam turned on his heel and looked down on the burning human. Adam felt a pang of sympathy for the human, reversing Wilt in his grip and stabbing it into his head, killing him instantly.

Withdrawing the blade and wiping the minimal blood from it, he heard a crashing from behind him. Sheathing the sword, he took his time facing back toward the entrance. He witnessed the same fool he had argued with earlier pulling his blades from the back of one of his subordinates amidst the rubble that had been the doors.

“If you came here for the headmaster,” the wolf Faunus said, rising from the corpse. “He’s aiding in the evacuation. You missed him.”

“He abandoned the school,” Adam felt a bit of pride swelling in his chest. “So, even the headmaster acknowledges our strength. At least he’s better than the last one, the coward.”

The Faunus didn’t dispute his words. Obviously, news of Lionheart’s betrayal had become known after Salem’s defeat. Despite the benefit it had presented, he was still sickened by the weakness the headmaster had shown.

“Don’t suppose this will make you surrender?” the Faunus asked, already crouching in a fighting stance.

Adam realized he recognized that stance. It was a long time ago, but he was certain he had fought alongside a White Fang with the exact stance. His name was… That was odd. The further back he went in his memories, the foggier it seemed to get. His name was… Gray. That felt right. Yes. Gray, who had abandoned their cause. Gray, who incited descent among his division. Gray, who had publicly rebuked him in front of his subordinates. Gray. A traitor to his kind.

Adam’s eyes narrowed.

“Like I’d surrender to a traitor like you.”

“Well, that’s unfortunate.”

Adam didn’t look, slashing Wilt over his head. His blade collided with another, the force launching the ambusher away. Adam heard the attacker land somewhere behind him.

Adam slowly turned his head from side to side. When it became clear no one else would appear, he sheathed his sword.

“I have an announcement to make, so let’s keep this brief. The eyes of the world have turned back to the White Fang, so it’s my duty to keep them there.”

Adam whirled around and struck thrice with Wilt at the dark-haired huntsman, sheathing Wilt after each attack. The huntsman blocked them with his sword, driven back by the unexpected force behind each hit. Adam leapt into the air, throwing Wilt end over end like a sawblade into the huntsman before he drew Blush and fired a shot toward the charging Gray. The Faunus dodged away, making a quick dash to advance further toward his target.

Wilt shrieked against the huntsman’s blade before bouncing back to its wielder. He spun, letting gravity drag him sword first into Faunus. The traitor rolled to the side, barely dodging Wilt as it impaled itself deep into the stone floor. Gray recovered and quickly dove toward Adam, blades slashing. Adam pulled himself up, balancing on Wilt’s hilt and flipping to land on the other side, avoiding the attack. He pulled the weapon, cleaving through stone and into the Faunus’ aura. Gray tumbled away, his aura flickering but remaining active, as Adam stood up.

Adam sheathed Wilt only to immediately draw it partially, blocking a swing from the huntsman’s weapon. Adam ignited Wilt, causing the blade to flash with heat and fire. The huntsman flinched away, allowing Adam to push him back. Adam spun and flipped sideways over the huntsman, firing Blush at the top of the arc, and sending a vertical wave of steel and flame down toward the huntsman.

But he wasn’t there.

In the brief second Adam had taken his eyes off him, the huntsman had somehow maneuvered behind him, despite the fact he was still in the air. There was a blast, and Adam felt pain course through his body as he was blown into the hard-stone floor. Adam regretted his lost aura as he felt bones crack and break upon impact. Still, he persevered.

Ignoring the pain, he rolled aside to avoid the huntsman’s sword stabbing where he had been. Quickly regaining his footing, he drew Wilt and fired three shot at the huntsman, each blocked by the flat of his blade.

Adam could feel his bone knitting, meaning he could still pull out a win. Despite the damage, Adam was confident he was faster than the huntsman. He heaved labored breaths as he drove his body beyond what he ever could have before, his form shading over with black. He flashed from side to side, bringing his blade down on the huntsman from his right. Blocking the attack, the stone floor cracked under the force of the strike being transferred through the huntsman’s body. The huntsman grunted, shifting his sword so the weight Adam placed on it began sliding down its edge. Instead of attempting to prevent such an action and leaving himself open, Adam moved into the motion, placing Blush’s muzzle in the huntsman’s stomach.

He fired off two rounds, each falling to the ground as the aura absorbed the damage. The huntsman reeled back, his aura glowing faintly. Adam wasn’t about to let him recover. Replacing Blush on his hip, he lashed out with his black claw and gripped the huntsman’s throat, lifting him from the ground. His razor-sharp digits sank into the aura, causing it to flash and slowly begin to fade. The huntsman reversed his grip and stabbed the sword deep into Adam’s left shoulder trying to force him to relinquish his grip. Adam forced the pain down, drawing back Wilt in his right hand to jam it in once the aura broke. As the Adam watched the aura dissipate, and began driving Wilt forward, a worrying thought crossed his mind.

Where was that traitor, Gray, while all this was happening?

Adam leapt to the side, narrowly escaping the Faunus’ blades, and losing his grip on the huntsman. He sheathed and fired Wilt out, slashing a wide arc toward the Faunus. The traitor caught the weapon, letting it slide between the blades on his left arm and twisting his wrist so they locked the sword in place. Blush fired three rounds while Adam dashed backward, releasing his sword. The Faunus’ semblance ignited, burning blue, and disintegrated the rounds upon approach. He retracted his right blades and pulled Wilt from between the left. Adam gritted his teeth in anger.

There was a thump as Adam’s right arm fell to the ground. He whipped Blush like a club behind him as agony tore into his body. The huntsman ducked the swing, his scythe whirling to hook the rifle. As Adam prepared to counter-attack, he noticed the streak of red and blue bearing down upon him. Before he could escape the attack, a blow connected with the back of his head. Staggered, he was unable to avoid his own sword plunging into his body. The huntsman moved away from Adam as he fell, Wilt digging partially into the stone through his back.

Adam lay there in a painfully familiar situation as Gray stood over him, gazing down while the huntsman stowed his sword. His vision grew dark and fuzzy, staring up near sightlessly at the ceiling.

“Took you long enough, Blue,” the huntsman massaged his neck with his free hand, the other holding Blush. “I retired to get away from this kind of stuff.”

“Sorry,” the traitor retracted his left blades. “I needed to make sure he was too occupied to… Crap!”

Adam strained to move, hearing one of his attackers running to where he believed the entrance was.

“He’s still alive,” the Faunus’ voice was now farther away. “But he’s lost a lot of blood.”

“Damn it,” the huntsman was also moving that direction. Adam began forcing his left arm up, fighting the pain and fatigue to lift it. He knew his wounds would eventually heal, but he needed time for that. He had to…

“What are you doing, Adam?”

Adam didn’t understand. “Merlot?” he thought. Was he going mad?

“Not today,” the Doctor’s voice came again, seeming to echo in his mind. “I implanted a communicator directly in your inner ear and linked it to your neural pathways. Now, back to the matter at hand. Why are you simply lying there?”

“Merlot,” Adam sighed internally. “It wasn’t enough. Even with your gift, I couldn’t win. I failed… again.”

“I am sorry,” Merlot said apologetically. “This is my fault.”

That wasn’t true, though. Merlot’s plan wasn’t the problem. It was Adam’s own weakness, his own pride, which had brought them to this point.

“Oh, you misunderstand. It is only that I realize you have not discovered your own potential yet. I should have told you, but I was sure you had already figured it out. That… is on me.”

Adam didn’t understand. He had given his all in that fight. His power failed him. He wasn’t strong enough. He had never been strong enough!

“Adam,” Merlot’s voice was stern, bringing Adam’s addled thoughts on his words. “You are not breathing.”

What was he talking about? Even now, Adam’s body struggled to bring in every breath. It… it struggled… but he felt no relief. He ceased his breaths, waiting several seconds for the urge to take him, but there was none. What was going on?

“You are not Adam Taurus. At least, not the Adam who led the White Fang. That Adam was immolated by Mr. Grimm nine years ago.”

What was he talking about? Adam hadn’t died once! He’d gotten close, but he was pulled back from the brink each time. He was Adam Taurus!

“You are,” Merlot said placatingly. “And you have! But it is also true that you died. However, I was able to scan your mind and replicate it with the grimmace. It is part of the reason I was only able to craft your body last year. Grafting grimmace along your skeleton was not as simple as it sounds, nor was recreating your mind.”

He… was dead? And crafted his body? What… was he? He was still a Faunus… wasn’t he?

“You were, but now you are so much more!”

Merlot’s words truly echoed around the room. Adam couldn’t understand where the sound was coming from, but neither did he attempt to find the source. He didn’t move, laying there in shock, trying to wrap his mind around the Doctor’s words. He… wasn’t Adam?

“You have transcended mere labels such as Grimm and Faunus. You are something new. A Grimm with complete sentience! The ability to think and choose beyond primal urges! You have the power to change this world! I have given you all the tools you need to win this battle and show the world the future!”

Merlot’s words faded back into Adam’s mind.

“But I understand that this weighs heavily upon you right now. So, I must once more apologize for what I am about to do. I hope you can forgive me.”

Adam didn’t understand. What could he be…?

A shock ran through his body as a high-pitched whine tore through his mind. He rose up on the blade, his body arcing off the floor. He felt his body begin softening, morphing as his consciousness faded in the mass of warping flesh.

“I will bring you back after extraction. We will discuss your full capabilities then. For now, remember to have fun, Penumbra.”

That was the last thing he heard before all rational thought ceased.

* * *

Gray watched Qrow leave with the student in tow. Gray had managed to cauterize the wounds, but he needed a medic or maybe even a healer. Qrow, knowing Mistral better from “A couple…Hrm, enjoyable missions,” volunteered to take him. Handing Gray Blush, Qrow lifted the kid in a bridal carry and dashed out the building. Gray was fine with the deal. Adam wasn’t going anywhere.

That thought faltered when Merlot began broadcasting his voice from… somewhere. What was with this announcement? Encouragement for his troops? The invasion had been going for a while now. Why now?

Then he heard the thump.

He turned to look at Adam. The Faunus’ body had begun looking like black gelatin. Gelatin that was now expanding up around the sword Adam had been impaled on, its form growing and shifting in spastic motions. He shifted Blush to rifle mode, firing four rounds into the writhing mass. Each shot ripped holes into the oozing pile, but each was quickly filled in. Gray growled in irritation as the goo reached ten feet tall and began to take shape.

Mighty, long, forward facing horns sprouted from the head, covered in white plates and shaped like a bull. Its body rippled with dark muscle; thick arms led to clenched fists. The right held an all to small sword, nearly enveloped in the massive digits. Below the body, shaggy legs of black fur ran down into pure white hooves. Blazing eyes of yellow lit like fire in the skull’s sockets. They bore down on Gray, blind animalistic rage evident in its gaze.

“Why can’t you just stay dead!” Gray yelled, shifting Blush back to a sheath and placing it on his belt.

The monster roared in challenge, its right arm bearing Wilt toward the Faunus.

“Just try it!” Gray extended his blades, crouching in preparation for the oncoming battle. “You can barely see that toy your holding!”

As if in response, (or maybe exactly in response) the black flesh of the beast grew around the blade, extending up in a pillar of darkness. White plates formed on one edge, each sharp and shrinking as they worked their way up the pillar. A few seconds later, and an enormous black and white eight-foot tall blade was held in the monster’s hand.

“You just had to say something,” He berated himself quietly.

* * *

“What did you do to Adam?”

Veridian trained Gilded Viper’s blade on the back of Merlot’s neck, the man standing enraptured in front of the main monitor.

“Miss Vallus, you were here when I talked to him. I’m not going to repeat myself.”

Merlot’s words were almost sassy in their delivery. Veridian didn’t let the oddity deter her anger.

“What do you mean Adam’s dead? Why did you call him Penumbra? Why did he turn into that?”

Her eyes flicked to the screen, the thing that had been Adam roaring at the Faunus who had impaled him earlier.

“Project Penumbra,” he said conversationally, not taking his eyes off the screen. “Was my ambitious attempt to create a being, body, mind, and soul from the grimmace. They may have been built around what once was Adam Taurus, but I think you will agree it was a success.”

“The same grimmace you injected in all the other members,” She said, her grip tightening around the guandao.

“They accepted it of their own accord. I don’t understand what the issue is. I very clearly told all of you the effects of the serum.”

Her resolve wavered slightly. He had told them it would enhance them beyond their dreams. The loss of their aura would be substituted with greater strength, senses, speed, reactivity, and healing. He had even told them of the ability to shift into powerful Grimm forms. But…

“Why would Adam need to forgive you?”

“Ah, yes,” his tone drooped slightly. “It was clear his mental faculties were having an issue processing the revelations I brought to light. Thus, poor foresight and effective planning mixed to create an unfortunate set of circumstances. I should have told him the circumstances of his rebirth beforehand instead of assuming he would realize it on his own. The mind is very good at tricking itself, after all. However, as a failsafe, I imprinted a response in his mind to a specific set of frequencies. These would allow me to wrest control from him should the need arise, bringing him down to the intelligence levels of one of my advanced Grimm.”

“And you did that to everyone!” she roared, her anger beginning to boil over. She had trusted him. They had trusted him! How could he do this?

“Miss Vallus,” he finally turned and faced her, and there was… concern in his eyes. He faced down her blade without a hint of fear as he spoke. “Do you really think so little of me?”

She was taken back a bit.

“It pains me to force this on him,” he gestured to the monitor. “It pains me to wrench the ability to choose away from anyone. Choice is a fundamental part of any sentient being. To take that away is a grievous crime.”

His face grew more serious, his yellow eyes burning with conviction.

“No, Miss Vallus. Only Adam, for he is an uncertain quantity at the moment. Rest assured; such protocols will be removed as soon as is viable. Until then, I must continue to commit this crime not only upon Adam, but on many others for the sake of my dream. This world is filled with those who cannot see beyond themselves. The choices they make drag them further down the path of meaninglessness. Purposelessness. They are unable to see where they are going, nor where the path leads them. Yet, they choose to walk it. But I see where the paths lead. And I must help them. Even as I cannot see where my own leads.”

He faced the monitor once more.

“So, I will make the choice to walk off that path for them, and I will lead them to paradise. That is my dream, Ms. Vallus.”

He looked at her sidelong.

“What is yours?”

Veridian stood there for a moment, unable to speak. Lowering Viper, she opened her mouth when the monitor blared, a red warning flashing on the screen. Merlot swiped his hand across it, and the familiar cheer was back in his voice.

“Well, he’s a little early, but he knows I adore punctuality.”

Veridian looked at the monitor and found it was now showing the outside of the narwhal. A figure had landed on the outer deck, large black wings shrinking back into them as they strode forward.

Merlot pressed a button his left arm band.

“Attention all Grimm. It seems we have a visitor. Please do your best to keep him entertained.”

He lifted his finger, looking at Veridian once more.

“That includes you, Miss Vallus. Please do your best not to die. I’ll be waiting to hear your answer when you get back.”

Veridian thought of objecting but kept her mouth shut. She nodded and turned to leave the room.

“Oh, one more thing.”

She glanced back and saw the Doctor was now holding a syringe of black fluid in his right hand, its dark digits presenting it like a prize.

“Another choice for you, Miss Vallus. Will you face Mr. Grimm as you are now, or will you fight him as perfection?”

He placed the syringe on a nearby desk, turning back to the screen one final time.

“As always, the decision is up to you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you believe I once thought bringing Adam back like this would be controversial? Other stories have done far greater disservices to the character. Veridian continues to be a hard character for me to pin down. By the end, I think I narrowed down what I wanted her to be, but I honestly doubt anyone really noticed. Which is part of the problem. For as important a character as she's going to be, she somewhat fades into the background for most of the story, especially when placed next to the extravagance that is Merlot.


	12. No Bone...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A beast's final battle, a madman confronted, and a goal achieved,

The monster charged Gray, swinging the massive blade in its hand in a wide arc. Gray rushed under the blade, slashing his blades at the beast’s main body. The cut began closing as soon as they appeared, the monster’s left hand lashing out to grab the Faunus. It lifted him up before throwing him away toward the wall of the room.

Gray managed to right himself in time to land against it feet first. He launched off to the side as the beast moved with speed no creature that size should have, slamming its fist where he had been previously. The wall crumbled and shattered under the force, exposing the room to the outside. The sun had begun to set as time edged forward during the battle.

Gray drew Blush, firing two more shots before the trigger only clicked pitifully. He tossed it aside as he narrowly sidestepped the massive blade cleaving into the stone floor. Before he could act, the blade pushed into him, the flat catching him and propelling him through the hole and out into quad.

Gray tumbled along the ground, his aura flickering quickly under the strain. He knew one more hit like that would break it.

The quad was clear of White Fang. Gray didn’t understand how. The place had been swarming when he’d crashed through the main hall to confront Adam.

He didn’t have time to consider it further as the monster barreled through the hole, roaring in rage as its golden eyes burned into me.

Gray leapt back to avoid a heavy hoof crushing him. He dashed between the beast’s legs, searing his glowing blue blades through the shaggy thighs. The monster roared in pain as blue energy lingered along the dark cuts in the flesh.

Gray rolled away when the monster swung its hand as it turned to face him. The sword came bearing down on him, causing Gray to cross the blades above him to block the strike. It impacted like a truck against his arms, nearly crushing him under the weight. The monster continued pushing down, leaving Gray unable to do anything but strain against the weapon.

Gray’s aura flickered weakly, his strength waning as he was forced down by the weapon. Then, a dark line launched from out of sight and connected to the beast. A figure flew in on the line, swinging behind the monster and planting something into its left shoulder. The creature reeled back in pain, alleviating the pressure on the Faunus. Gray felt an arm wrap around him and pull him away as the dark figure dashed around the beast, leaving quickly fading after-images with every new movement.

“Looks like we got here in time. You doing alright, man?”

“Sun?” Gray looked at his rescuer in surprise.

“You’re lucky we were in town when this happened,” Sun set Gray down a small distance away from the fight still underway. “And that they’re broadcasting this on every channel.”

For proof, Sun opens his scroll to show it playing the same scene they were watching unfold before them.

“Then that’s…” Gray pointed at the woman avoiding the monster’s attacks with feral grace.

“You just sit back and watch,” Sun smiled at him before running toward the fight. “We’ll take it from here.”

Gray watched as multiple golden replicas of the Faunus appeared beside him. The five figures moved away from each other, assaulting the monster from five directions. The beast ignored the black and white huntress to focus on the monkey Faunus. One golden copy was batted out of existence with the creature’s left hand while the sword cleaved through another. The huntress darted in to slash around the black arm bearing the sword. The left hand moved to smash her away but was stopped as the two remaining copies slammed their staffs into it. The Faunus jumped up from behind the beast to swing his staff against its horns.

The bony horn cracked from the hit, but its left hand flashed up to grip the Faunus. Sun struggled in its grip but cried in pain as the fingers closed. The golden aura flickered and flashed brightly as it was eaten away by the vice. Blake struck with fierce speed, slashing her blade with fervor across the giant hand, but it refused to release its grip. Sun’s aura faded.

Sun’s screams rose in volume as his body began to collapse under the grip. The monster didn’t attempt to stop Blake’s attacks as she cried out in fear. Its golden eyes blazed with animalistic malice, riveted to the huntress. So much so, that it didn’t notice the blades sink into its arm.

Its arm became engulfed in azure light, the energy eating away at the black flesh with every passing second. The beast roared in rage, jaws opening as it brought its arm up. Aiming for where the glowing blue Faunus had anchored his blades into its arm, it chomped down on its arm. Gray barely dodged the attack, pushing himself from the black flesh. The hand released its target, and Sun fell limply to the ground. Blake rushed over and pulled Sun away, calling his name in desperate cries.

Gray dodged under another swing of the sword before jumping up, landing on the blade as it swept back toward him. Gray began dashing up the blade until the monster rotated its wrist, causing his footing to change suddenly. He pushed off it, aiming directly for the bony skull of the beast. The left hand lashed out to knock him from the air, but Gray blazed with blue light, slashing into the black fingers. Thinner compared to the arms, the blades swept through the digits to lop them off, the stumps glowing with the remnants of the energy.

Gray swung upward off the cracked horn, a single blue blade sliding along the crack. As he launched into the air, he broke the horn off and took it with him. The beast jerked its head up to glare at him, roaring in defiance as its sword swung up to slice him in two.

Gray hurled the horn at the beast’s open mouth like a javelin. The bony spear burrowed into its throat between its jaws. Gray plummeted toward the monster as its sword was dropped from its grip. He buried his blades into the beast’s shoulders, his semblance spreading across the black form as he pushed every last ounce of aura he had into the attack.

The monster thrashed around in agony as its flesh scorched and bubbled under the semblance. It reached its right hand up to knock him off, but Blake streaked in like a violent shadow to cleave through its fingers as Gray had done to the other hand.

Its flesh began melting, its form whipping around in a frenzy. It roared the entire time, falling backward to smash Gray into the pavement. Unable to protect himself, pain stabbed into his body as he focused his entirety into the semblance.

The monster rolled back and forth, attempting to force the Faunus to release his power. More and more, Gray felt his body begin to crack under such brutal force, trying to shut out the pain to keep his semblance burning.

After what seemed like an eternity to the Faunus, the beast stopped moving. The black flesh melted into a formless mass of sludge, white bones like that of a human being revealed as the mass stretched out over the quad.

Gray lay there, unbale to move. The fluid covered his body, seeping into his hair and clothes. He heard footsteps approaching and his head turned to find Blake carrying Sun on her shoulder.

“How’s he doin’?” Gray forced out the words. Every syllable hurt.

“Don’t talk,” Sun coughed painfully, a small glob of blood falling to the ground. “Like I’m not here.”

“Then don’t act like a sack of potatoes.”

“Enough, both of you.”

Blake’s voice was calm but firm. The other Faunus quieted at her words.

“Both of you are too wounded to do anything. I’ll bring you both into the main hall, then I’ll go get help. Neither of you are allowed to die until then. Do I make myself clear?”

They didn’t speak, and Blake carried them into the main hall, laying them on the floor. She moved from view, and Gray wondered how long they would be waiting there. However, she appeared once more, holding Wilt sheathed in Blush. She kneeled and placed it next to Gray.

“Please, get rid of this.”

Gray looked at her, but all her attention was on the weapon. She rose and dashed off before he could respond. Gray gazed at the weapon before sluggishly moving his left hand, slowly dragging it close to him.

* * *

Nova knew he could easily conceal his presence and blend in with the monsters, but he felt like blowing off some steam.

His blades danced through the grimm, the majority of which were made up of beowolves. Merlot tended to use them for his menial or simple tasks. As such, Nova supposed helping him run a large airship would require quite a few of them.

He sheathed Sérénité and closed his right hand around a beowolf’s throat. He barreled forward with the grimm leading the charge. The grimm smashed into a door and Nova forced it open with his strength. The door dented and broke under the blows and Nova walked through, tossing the battered remains of the beowolf to the side.

A large room with a massive machine. The machine was lit with a blue glow, humming loudly and echoing off the metal walls and floor. The machine was like a giant water wheel in a rotary casing, blades within the machine causing the light to flash oddly onto the walls. Nova surmised he was in the main engine room of the narwhal.

“This is as far as you go, Mr. Grimm!”

Nova looked up to see a girl in a green variant of the White Fang uniform sitting atop the generator, a long weapon with a heavy bladed head resting on her shoulders.

Nova ejected the earth dust from Sérénité’s hilt and replaced it with ice dust.

“So, he kept someone around after all,” Nova tossed Désaccord into his right hand. “And why are you so different from the others? It can’t just be the green outfit.”

“I am Veridian Vallus!” She slid down to land with a metallic ringing. As she spokes, she took several steps closer to him. “And so long as I’m here, you won’t touch the Doctor.”

Nova absently drew Sérénité in a reverse-grip.

“You seem more in control than you friends down below.”

Suddenly, he was in front of her, Sérénité slashing up. Her guandao blocked the attack, the clash echoing beside the thrumming of the engine.

“Let’s see if we can’t find the monster inside.”

Nova’s knee struck upward, driving into her gut. She was knocked back, barely catching herself from falling over. Her aura moved over her like a wave.

“You have aura?” Nova asked incredulously.

In response, she swung her weapon in front of her. The guandao segmented out and extended toward Nova like a metal whip. Nova dodged to the left, only to be hit by a gust of wind from his right. The heavy blade swept with the bluster, swinging from its original trajectory to follow Nova. He barely had time to block the attack with Désaccord.

The Faunus charged him as the weapon retracted to its original length. She spun it around and cleaved toward him. As he blocked, Nova felt the air pressure around him increase, driving him down with the attack. His muscles began to seep black as he pushed back against the force. The shadows began to spread up his blades, connecting to the guandao’s head and beginning to spread along it as well.

The air pressure ceased, and the air blew like a wave to launch him back into the wall. He slammed into it and began to bounce back before he was impaled, stuck to the metal. The guandao slowly retracted as the Faunus walked toward him warily.

Nova placed Désaccord against the blade and twisted its dial, sending electricity coursing along its length. The Faunus’ aura flashed rapidly from the shock as she yanked the blade out of her enemy. Before Nova could advance, wind exploded from under him, hurtling him into the air. The metal wall beside began to crumple in on itself, exploding outward to open the room to the outside. The air slammed into him like a hammer and hurled him out the newly made hole.

Nova careened into the atmosphere, the darkening evening air rushing past him in a deafening wail. His wings spread out and caught him, flapping to keep him level with the narwhal. He forced sharp bone to form on his wings, making them heavier. He was about send himself burrowing back into the engine room like a javelin, but the Faunus was now standing in the hole.

The air pressure sent him plummeting, his wing’s weight making trying to flap them impossible. He shed the bone and began to flap hard enough to keep himself from falling as fast. The pressure eventually faded, and he supposed he was out of her range. His anger and frustration mounting as shadows crept over his body. His wings pumped, flying him to the other side of the airship as he sheathed his blades. He flew higher, rising in altitude above the narwhal. He flew above it as white bone once more covered his wings. The rest of his body became black as a grimm, his eyes blazing with golden light as a sharp toothed smile spread on his face.

This would be fun.

He corkscrewed like a drill, flying as fast as any rocket as he grew closer to the top of the ship. He bored in the ship, plowing down through the floors to explode back into the engine room. The Faunus had the decency to look surprised as his wings expanded out to catch him as he impacted the floor. The plating dented and cracked under the force of his landing, as the wings retracting back into his body. He stared at his prey, and she readied her weapon at the gaze.

Nova lashed out his right arm, whipping toward the Faunus with a crack. The guandao waved before her to force the arm aside, but it snaked around the weapon, curling until it grasped her arm. His arm retracted, yanking her to the blackened man. Her wind tried to halt his progress, but he wouldn’t let her escape that easily. Digging his claws into her aura, he leapt toward her, pulling himself closer against the wind buffeting him.

His left fist slammed into her face, her aura flashing rapidly. The wind died as her aura began fading, so he flung out his right hand, carrying the Faunus with it. She was bashed into the wall, floor, and ceiling repeatedly. Her aura completely vanished under the strikes. His claws pierced into her flesh, causing her to cry in pain as the assault continued.

The arm zoomed back toward his body, dragging the Faunus across the floor as it did. His claw released its grip and unwound from the guandao. His left claw grabbed her hair and slowly pulled her up to eye level, the Faunus grimacing in pain.

“That wasn’t very nice of you,” Nova growled the distorted words from his clenched teeth, cheshire grin unmoving. “All that time getting up here, and now you want to toss me right back out.”

His right hand plunged into her gut, immediately withdrawing covered in blood. He looked at the red staining his hand before tossing the Faunus aside, her green uniform already saturated.

“You didn’t take the serum,” Nova shook his hand to the side, blood and gore flying off in globules. “For that, you can live. Leave this place, and don’t try anything. I won’t hold back right now.”

Nova turned and walked away, leaving the Faunus to try and prop herself up on her arms.

Nova continued through the ship, cleaving through whatever grimm blocked his path as the power slowly receded back into him. He glanced down at his right hand, no longer a claw but still a black replica of what he lost. A reminder of how much he hated this strength. The more he used it, the more he could feel it seeping into his thoughts. The more grimmlike he felt. It was the same reason the White Fang down below were rampaging like animals.

“Stay that way too long, and there’s no point even holding a funeral,” he thought grimly.

Nova burst onto the bridge, bashing the door aside with a blackened fist. Merlot kept his back towards him, the monitor in front of him showing several different locations in Mistral, all swarming with grimmlike White Fang.

“Mr. Grimm. Is it not wonderful?”

His voice was whimsical as he turned to face Nova.

“And it is only the beginning.”

“Then I will make it an ending,” Nova walked toward him slowly. With his enemy in sight and ready to monologue there was no reason to hurry.

“So you may think, but do you truly believe this is the extent to which I have planned?”

“Doesn’t matter. With you gone, any plan you’ve made will fall apart. After all, you don’t trust anyone with the whole of your schemes.” Nova said quietly as he stepped up beside Merlot.

“Trust is such a strong word,” Merlot turned to face him and spread his arms. “It is more that they will not understand how it all will come together in the end.”

“Like sending the White Fang into a situation they can’t win? You didn’t even give them an escape plan, did you?”

“I predict around thirty percent of them will escape by the time the military arrives, which should be,” he glanced at a display on his left arm. “Nine minutes. Eleven if you contacted them after you arrived in the city, but I have faith in you.”

“Shut up,” Nova glared at the Doctor as the words hissed through his teeth. “How many lives have you ended with just the tip of your syringe? First Mountain Glenn, now Mistral. How many more will it take until your satisfied?”

“As many as necessary. I do not take life lightly, but sacrifices must be made so the Greater Good can be achieved. Even if some people are unable to see it.”

“They’re monsters now!” Nova grabbed Merlot’s coat collar in his left hand, dragging him close to glare into the Doctor’s glowing eyes. “All you’ve done is create beasts! They’re not even Faunus anymore!”

“Exactly.”

Merlot’s ever-present smile broadened.

“They are something completely new. I have created a new species of being. One that any person, man, woman, and Faunus alike, can become. Once everyone has taken the serum, every line we have drawn to hinder one another will be meaningless. All will be equal. We can achieve so much more without having to worry about such petty, inconsequential details and fallacies. This world can become something truly wonderful. And I have you to thank for it all. Everything here is only possible because of you. You beautiful wonder of nature!”

Nova slammed Merlot on the desk, black arm drawing back to elongate into a black saber, razor sharp bone lining the edge.

There was a beeping sound, and Nova glanced down at the Doctor’s left arm where the display now showed a countdown timer.

“In exactly six minutes, an airborne contagion will be released over Mistral. The narwhal will then continue on autopilot to soar over the continent and spread the contagion further. This version of my serum, like the version borne by the White Fang, is… well, contagious. For the next month, any exchange of DNA between an infected individual and an uninfected individual will cause them to bear my gift. After that month, the serum will become ingrained in their very DNA, passing on like any other dominant genetic trait. The release mechanism is directly tied to my life signs, so if I were to die suddenly, the contagion would be released immediately in a massive cloud. At this altitude who can say how far the winds will carry my marvelous gift. You can find the tank in the main hangar, but you better hurry. Only five minutes and twelve seconds to go.”

Nova was stunned as the Doctor droned on. Six minutes. He had to move, but he needed to kill him. Merlot would just make more, do this again, but he had to go now. Merlot had done it again. He’d slipped through his fingers. He planned this out to the last detail, and all Nova could do was play along.

NO, he refused to accept that. He moved over to the railing, dragging Merlot with him, and broke of a segment of it. He slammed Merlot into the wall, and impaled him through his shoulder with the broken piece, being sure to bend the end back in on itself so Merlot couldn’t slide himself off.

“Stay there. I’ll be back for you.”

Nova stormed off the bridge, leaving Merlot pinned to wait for his return.

However, Merlot was not obliged to listen to the man. Merlot pulled to the side, lab coat ripping as his flesh parted to allow the makeshift spear to pass unimpeded. His dark body joined together once more, regaining its original hue, as he glanced down at the hole.

“Does he not realize I only have three of these left?” he said incredulously. “I have to order replacements through the black market, and their rates are ridiculous! 750 lien for a single coat, and that is not including delivery!”

Merlot moved to the main console and brought up one of the hallway cameras. Vallus was making her way forward, leaning against the wall for support. He activated the intercom for that section.

“Miss Vallus, please make your way to the escape pods. I will be joining you shortly.”

Merlot switched feeds to watch Mr. Grimm’s progress to the hangar. He was making good time, almost halfway there thanks to his enhanced speed. Merlot looked down at the timer on his wrist. 4:21.

He pushed a few buttons, and the timer fell to 2:00.

“That was for my coat,” the Doctor huffed as he began making his way to the escape pods.

* * *

Nova burst into the hangar, and immediately could saw the tank. A giant metal reservoir with pipes running into the walls and floor. A thick glass porthole ran the height of the tank, showing a black swirling mass roiling restlessly within.

Nova didn’t waste another moment. He began ripping pipes off, detaching the tank from anything that may hold it down. As he did, his form grew and grew. Bone plates spread along his body as his form became streamlined, body becoming a bestial humanoid creature. White spikes and claws sprouted as an equally white mask covered the top half of his face. The cheshire grin became smaller, opening to reveal rows of teeth as he growled in effort, using his new arms to wrap around the tank. His claws dug into the metal, anchoring his grip.

Nova charged the closed launch bay doors, shifting to slam his armored shoulder into the metal frame, buckling the obstacle and splitting it open for his massive frame and package.

As he plummeted from the launch bay, two sets of black wings spread out behind him, great sweeping flaps keeping him airborne. He began flying over the city, carrying his toxic cargo off to the west. It began to slip from his claws, causing the gashes he had already rent in it to lengthen as Nova attempted to tighten his hold. Then Nova saw it.

Some of the pipes, but not all, had begun to leak. Black particles flowed out and dispersed through the air as he continued to soar over the city.

“You idiot!” He screamed internally, which translated to a monstrous roar of anger on the outside. “This is what he wanted!”

His wings moved faster, accelerating his flight out of the city. However, his speed cost him as the black dust fell faster as his wing beats became rougher. He roared in rage but kept up his new pace. He rocketed out of the city, flying toward Lake Matsu. As the floating islands above the lake came into view, Nova began spiraling in descent toward the water. After several seconds, he released his hold, hurling the metal mass toward the center of the enormous lake.

The tank bashed into several different floating islands, each impact releasing out another cloud of dark particles. The tank eventually made its way into the water, a spray of water erupting from the surface as the heavy metal sank to the depths.

Nova landed on one of the floating masses and watched as it slowly disappeared from view, swallowed by the blue depths. The sun had almost faded behind the horizon now, and he could just make out the growing shapes of airships coming from the north. He felt the sudden violent urge to fly over to them and bring those ships down. How could they take so long? If they had been here sooner, this wouldn’t have happened! They needed to…

Nova grabbed his head, a guttural cry tearing between the monstrous lips he now bore. He forced the power down, beating the beast back into its cage. It fought tooth and claw, defiantly grasping anything it could to stay unleashed. Nova slashed his blades at its form, every injury driving it further back. Its body grew, shooting out tendrils to wrap around him as it pulled on him, dragging him closer. Its body opened, soothing him to just let go and accept that it was time to let it have control. Nova jammed his swords into the beast and turned the dials, white light blazing out to send the monster reeling. The world began flashing with different faces. Friends, family, everyone Nova fought to protect. The reasons he couldn’t lose here, the reasons to keep himself sane! The monster cowered from the light, slinking back into the shadowy cage it resided in. Nova slammed the door shut.

Nova was on his knees, sweat pouring from him. His right arm was gone, as well as the rest of the power. He slowly slumped to the side, unable to do anything else. He could see lancers coming to investigate, insectoid wings buzzing noisily as they floated above, heads twitching about.

Nova realized he wouldn’t be able to catch Merlot like he hoped. The Doctor would have found some way to escape by the time he or the military got to the narwhal now. His eyes began to close as the darkening sky slowly drifted over him like a blanket. Today had been a long day, and in the end, only one thing was certain.

He should have charged Ironwood more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Penumbra. A twist I don't think anyone saw coming. Honestly, it's the culmination of Adam's character, especially when you think of him as The Beast from B&B. A man that became a monster, which started with the Grimm masks and ended with the Grimm form. I do think everyone realized a while ago that Merlot would escape, but I doubt they thought he would succeed as much as he did.


	13. No Ash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of a dream.

Even as Gray was carried away on the stretcher, he kept his grip on the weapon. When they finally reached the medical tent the military set up, he released his hold to allow the nurse to place it leaning against the bedside. They brought in someone who laid their hand on his arm and told him he had four broken ribs, a dislocated right shoulder, several minor fractures on either arm, and a concussion. Gray couldn’t remember the last time he had so many injuries, but it was possible that was the concussion talking.

Gray drifted in and out of consciousness as different people came and went. At one point, a healer must have come in, because his pain was mostly alleviated. That, or they pumped him so full of pain meds that he couldn’t tell the difference. He was certain there was a medical term for it, but thinking was too difficult to consider terminology. After that, he was finally able to get a decent amount of sleep.

When he finally awoke once more, he was in a hospital room. Glancing around the room, he found Wilt and Blush leaning against the wall on the right and a woman sitting in one of two seats on the left side of the bed reading a book titled _Ninjas of Love 5: Shinobi Sheets_. The woman noticed he was awake and quickly put the book in the vacant seat.

“Didn’t think you’d be my first visitor,” Gray told the Faunus. “I honestly thought Nova would be here.”

“Ruby and Qrow filled me in on everything,” Blake leaned forward slightly. “None of them are sure what happened to Nova.”

That wasn’t a good sign. That either meant Nova was dead, captured, or they’d be hearing reports of a monstrous grimm terrorizing the countryside. The first two would be much easier to deal with then the third, but it was worrisome all the same.

“He’ll turn up eventually,” Gray stared up at the light fixtures in the ceiling. “One way or another.”

He looked back to Blake who adopted a contemplative expression.

“How’s Sun doing?” he knew Sun had taken less damage then him, but it got them off the topic of Nova.

“Luckily, the majority of his injuries was bruising on his upper body,” she frowned as she spoke. “But the doctors said he fractured his radius. Without a healer, they say it will take a couple months before he can use it again.”

Since magic returned to Remnant, practitioners of the healing arts had been quick to gain recognition. That also meant they were expensive. Considering how Gray only felt a minor ache in his chest, he assumed the Atlas military had sent a healer his way. Perks of being on their payroll for this job. Sun, not so much.

“That fight took a toll on both of us, it seems.”

“Yeah,” Blake looked across the room.

Gray followed her gaze to the weapon.

“Why did you ask me to get rid of it?”

“Because I can’t.”

He looked back to her, but found her eyes were stuck on the weapon just like when she gave it to him earlier.

“I ran away, and he chased me. He found me, and I escaped. I killed him, and he came back. I can’t get rid of him.”

Her hands bawled into fists.

“Even now, how can I be sure when he waited ten years to come back? I thought I was past this. Past _him_. I can’t…”

She tore her eyes away, looking down at the floor.

Gray watched her staring down for several moments before speaking.

“It’s only a weapon.”

Blake glared up at him, anger seeping into her face.

“It was Adam’s weapon,” she said angrily.

“How many people have you killed with yours?” Gray gestured to the blade on her back.

Blake was caught off guard by this question. She didn’t have a chance to answer before Gray spoke again.

“How many people have you fought with that sword? Probably more than you like to think about on both accounts. But how many people would recognize that weapon? On your team, you had a giant scythe, shotgun gauntlets, a dust rapier, and a sword that doubled as a pistol. Which do you think people will remember?”

Gray looked down at his arms, but his weapons had been removed by the hospital staff.

“I doubt anyone would even recognize my weapons if I weren’t the one wielding them. It’s not the weapons someone uses, but who’s using them. Adam’s dead. He died a long time ago. This was just his ghost trying to grab our attention one more time before he faded away.”

Gray looked back at Wilt and Blush.

“That is a weapon. One that is extremely boring compared to pistol-nunchakus and sonic trumpets. And yet, when Adam held it, it suddenly became a symbol. Without him, it’s just a piece of metal. A weapon’s only as important as the one who wields them.”

He looked into Blake’s confused eyes.

“I’ll get rid of it if you want, but you have the chance to make it something different. You can take it and give it to someone who’ll turn it into something special. If it reminds you of Adam, give it new purpose so it can wipe that thought away. Otherwise, even when it’s gone, it will always be a reminder of that spiteful monster.”

Gray watched Blake’s eyes slowly wander back to the sword, but her gaze wasn’t as transfixed as before. He didn’t usually get this philosophical, but he was pretty sure he was on more than a few medications right now. He wasn’t sure he could repeat what he said if his life was on the line. So, instead of thinking about that, he just closed his eyes and relaxed in the silence that…

“Dad.”

Gray slowly opened his eyes to find a familiar purple haired girl standing in the room’s doorway, an accusatory frown on her face.

“Why is it I got a call saying my father,” her tone grew more annoyed with every word. “Who promised he wouldn’t get into any trouble before my visit, is currently in the hospital after a fight with a monster that went viral across the entire CCTS?”

“Violet,” Gray suddenly wished he were still unconscious. “I had a good reason.”

“I’ll just,” Blake scooped up her book, moving to the door. “Come back later.”

“You traitor,” Gray thought irritably as his daughter let the Faunus pass by.

“I’m sure you did,” Violet moved over to where Blake was sitting. “And you have plenty of time to tell me.”

Gray missed the giant monster. The monster had the decency to attack him directly.

“Curse you, Past Gray.” He thought defeatedly.

* * *

Clara didn’t know what was going on.

She thought they were safe. The huntsman had evacuated them. They took care of the problem. So, why was this happening?

And it wasn’t just her. Everyone she saw also had body parts being consumed by some black substance. Her hand was more like an animal’s claw now. People were screaming, some trying to back away from each other while others were comforting their children who were also infected. Even some of the soldiers were covered in the black.

All the soldiers were trying to calm the civilians while others were talking on their headsets. Clara couldn’t understand. How did this happen?

The dark substance began to slowly crawl up her arm.

* * *

Nova walked along the gray streets of Atlas, thinking of the last few days. The Atlesian military had traced his scroll’s signal and retrieved him before he’d awoken. He filled Ironwood in on everything that occurred, leaving out most of the events on Merlot’s airship, and told him what to expect in the aftermath. This last bit was rather pointless as the General started getting reports of many evacuees showing signs of infection.

It didn’t take much longer for Nova to be dismissed, told his payment would be wired to his account as usual. He was grateful, said all the right things, and left without another word.

And now, he was here, heading toward the residential district of the city. His job was a success, he’d gotten paid, but all he still felt unfulfilled.

Once more, Merlot had slipped between his fingers. Merlot’s plan had been foiled, or about as close to foiled as Merlot would allow, but he still succeeded. The damage wasn’t as severe as it could have been, but the infection had spread, and it would continue to spread for the next two months. Even if the military were to quarantine all the infected, enough would seep through the cracks.

That would be enough for Merlot. He waited a decade to strike, what’s one more, or two? Small victories in the name of the bigger picture were all he needed, and all Nova could do was watch.

Hunting Merlot again would help no one. Nova had exhausted every resource he had earlier that decade, leading to the destruction of all things even marginally linked to Merlot, but the man still had more. All Nova could do was wait, and it rattled the power’s cage.

That was for later. He knew that Merlot was in the distance. For now, happier things were on the way. Dahlia’s birthday was next Croceus, and with the lien the military had just given him, he’d be able to spoil her more than usual. She’d been wanting to build herself a weapon, and now, he could get her the best parts to make it.

He looked up into the sky. Grey clouds covered the horizon, but, as the wind gently blew, the sun began peeking through.

* * *

“Home, sweet home.”

Cinder sat on the sofa in the predominantly green chamber. Off to her left, a dresser filled with red jumpsuits stood beside a simple white sheeted bed on a black frame next to a little nightstand with a picture frame propped up. To her right, a single tall lamp and a lined bookshelf. She picked up the controller lying beside her and turned on the T.V. hanging on the wall.

“… And the reports continue to come in as more and more citizens of Remnant are infected with this strange ‘grimmace’,” beside the newscaster, a small image appears of several people covered in dark splotches. “Sources within the Atlas Military have confirmed that the recent attack on Mistral by the White Fang is related to the outbreak. While no official cause has been listed, popular opinion is…”

Cinder flicked to the cooking network, where a _Cooking with Crystals_ marathon was being shown. As the chef was about to flavor a sizzling steak with fire dust, she heard the elevator in the distance.

She didn’t acknowledge it, about to change the channel before the pan erupted in a column of flame. She watched as the man began tossing the steak out of the pan, keeping it placed under the meat, so it cooked as it flipped in the air, before catching it and repeating the cycle. Maybe she should ask for a kitchen to be installed down here.

“I’m surprised you didn’t try to escape.”

“And why would I do that?”

The chef tossed the steak from the pan and onto a plate in his other hand before sprinkling ice dust into the flames. It didn’t make sense, but the orange pillar froze.

“Your handler had disappeared, and both the huntsmen and military were too busy to worry about keeping track of a single woman.”

“Should I be insulted I’m not important enough to watch?”

The chef broke off several shards of the frozen fire and moved over to the blender.

“So long as you didn’t cause trouble, we really were not motivated to chase you down. You would’ve gotten away scot-free.”

“And abandon all I have here?”

Several different berries were placed in the blender.

“Here, I don’t have a care in the world. True, it’s not nearly as fun as out there, but really, even the world outside is a very boring place. Unless it’s in danger, of course.”

Oscar stared at the woman as the blender whirred to life on-screen.

“Seems your time down here has changed you.”

“Whatever you say,” she glanced over her left shoulder, her empty socket gazing out at him. “Don’t you have more important things to do then waste my time?”

Oscar chuckled as he turned to leave.

“Time is what we make of it. You should know that by now.”

Cinder ignored the man as she went back to her show, excited to see what happened next as the chef pulled out a chainsaw and stuck gravity dust into what appeared to be a pig carcass.

* * *

“And… done!”

Merlot moved over to where Vallus was sitting. The woman still wore her bloody clothes, clutching her stomach as Merlot gave the syringe a flick.

“One last generation grimmace, just for you.”

He took her arm and injected the serum. Vallus shuddered for a second as Merlot withdrew the syringe and moved back over to the table.

“It feels almost sacrilegious to make such a low-quality miracle, but we make do with what we have.”

As he spoke, Merlot began going over what was in this facility. With Zaratan being set to retreat into the sea, he would have the opportunity to retrieve the abundant resources there at a later date. Till then, he would…

There was a thump behind him, and he turned to find Vallus collapsed on the floor, unconscious. He smiled and shook his head. It was surprising she was able to last as long as she did. Now, her body has shut down to allow the grimmace to do its job.

A few minutes later, two beowolves came in to carry Vallus off to her new quarters. Merlot would talk to her when she woke up. Till then, he had nothing pressing to do. He simply went to his office and sat in his chair.

Three years to plan, five years to prepare, one month to orchestrate, and two days to complete. So much time spent, and it was all worth it. Phase 1 of the revolution was now over, and phase 2 was about to begin. This phase would take even more time and patience than the previous one. Luckily, all the Doctor had was time.

Merlot pressed a button on his desk, and a bottle of rich red liquid with a small glass slid out the wall. He filled and took a long sip from the glass.

“Aged to perfection.”

* * *

**Greetings, ladies and gentlemen! It is I, Doctor Grigio Merlot, speaking to you from beyond the barrier between our worlds. I would like to thank you for remaining with us till the end of our story. I do so hope you enjoyed yourself. This tale has been fraught with twist and turns, as well as hints of revelations yet to come. I ask that you continue to read as we head toward the new world I will create. After all…**

**My dream is inevitable.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus, Ascension comes to a close. I remember my editor messaged me, so excited that he found out Merlot fit into the chaotic good alignment. He was freaking out.  
> I'm going to miss writing for Merlot, but I'm glad he's not gone, meaning I'll write for him again. Till then, new villains and stories. See ya then.


	14. Trailer: A Tale of Two Souls

_Once upon a time, there was a traveler. This man traveled all across Remnant, always moving and selling different wares he acquired along the way to continue his journey. With neither home nor family to tie him down, he was content to wander the globe for the rest of his days._

_However, one day he found girl lying motionless beside the road. Curious, the man approached the girl and found her to have died recently. He could not determine the manner of death, but as he was deciding what to do next, someone spoke to him._

_He glanced around his surroundings but could find no company beside the dead girl. The voice came again, and he now found the girl standing over herself. The girl asked him where he was going. Suitably unnerved, the man told her he didn’t know. He was a traveler, and he went wherever the roads took him. She asked if it would be possible for her to travel with him, as she was seeking the god’s domain so that she may pass on. She said that, if he was following the roads, he may one day lead her to it._

_He asked her how this would be possible. Clearly, she had died here and was now tied to this place. How could she hope to follow him?_

_She replied that if he were to accept her offer, their souls would be bound together. While normally a permanent pact, she assured him the gods could reverse such things._

_The traveler considered her proposal. While he had never seen the god’s domain before, there was always the chance he would find it, but that could take many years. However, all the years alone on the road had left a want in his heart. Even those who chose solitude at times felt the desire for companionship. In the end, he decided that traveling with another may be a welcome change to the monotony, if only for a brief time._

_He agreed, and their souls became entwined. The man and girl wandered the world for many years, laughing, crying, celebrating, and mourning together. They could hardly remember a time when they were separate, as though they had always been together. Their souls and feelings became as one, sharing themselves in a way they never had with another._

_Despite this, neither of them ever forgot what brought them together, and, as all journeys do, it came to an end. After so many years of traveling, they had found the god’s domain._

_As they drew ever closer, and the girl became more excited as they neared her journey’s end, the man considered passing it by. He realized he was not yet ready to let go of the girl who had brought so much joy to his life. Even so, he agreed to accompany her to this place, and he could not betray her for his own selfish wants._

_They found the god in his domain, and the god asked why they had come. The man waited for the girl to make her wish, but she remained silent. They both realized they couldn’t imagine life without the other anymore. The girl asked to be reborn so she may spend the rest of her days traveling with the man, but the god told her he could not reverse what time had wrought. She pleaded with the god, but they remained unmoved._

_The man told her not to worry. Eventually, his time would come as well. Until that day came, he asked her to wait for him so that they may travel the final journey together. She agreed and asked the god to send her forward._

_As the god separated their souls and sent her onward, the man felt as though he’d lost an important part of himself. He began wandering yet again, the silent roads feeling far lonelier than they ever had before. He roamed across Remnant, seeking out life and happiness, and slowly, he began to feel whole once more. He felt as though the girl was still with him, matching his every footstep along the long path of his life._

_As he neared the end of his life, he once again traveled to the god’s domain. Crumpling before the god, too weak to remain standing, he asked to be sent onward to the great beyond. The god remembered the man and the promise he made and agreed to send him off._

_As his soul moved onward, he once more saw the girl and called out to her. She asked him if he had enjoyed his journey, to which he replied that, after a while, it felt as though she had never left him. The girl giggled and said she had been watching his journey, crying, laughing, celebrating, and mourning with him, just as she always had. The man realized he never had been alone. Their souls having never truly been unraveled._

_Linking arms with her for the first time, they began their final journey, together as they always were and always will be._

“Is that story true, Daddy?”

Gray laughed softly at his daughter’s question.

“Well, I’m not sure how true or untrue it is. Old stories like that tend to be a little bit of both, but I like to think it’s possible.”

“Do you think I could go on a journey like that?” Violet asked, sitting up in her bed excitedly.

“Who knows? Maybe someday, you’ll go on an even greater journey. But you won’t if you’re too tired to move.”

Violet giggled a little at that, and Gray stood up from the chair he had place beside her bed and replaced the book back on its shelf. He walked over to the door and hovered his hand over the light switch.

“Good night, Violet.”

Violet snuggled back down into her sheets, closing her eyes as her head rested against the pillow.

“Good night, Daddy.”

Gray smiled and flicked the light off. Violet closed her eyes, and soon, she was lulled off to sleep, dreaming of a girl on the side of the road, the man that found her, and their eternal journey together.

* * *

**The Cleanse is coming.**

**Author's Note:**

> Morganus and I will be cross-posting both stories on each other's accounts, but my main account is on Fanfiction. Come see me, and you'll get updates before they arrive here. Also, you'll get to see when the next story starts, so that's pretty great.


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